Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/chinayellowperilOOmillrich 


J2  60 


O  (. 

.o  o. 


m  B) 

^  5° 


O  3 


=   =* 


m  9 


S-5 


CMIN  A 


THE    YELLOW    PERIL 


AT  WAR -WITH -THE -WORLD 


A  History  of  the  Chinese  Empire  from  the  Dawn 
OF  Civilization  to  the  Present  Time  ^  ^  ji*  jx  ^ 
Including  Descriptions  of  the  People,  their  Pur- 
suits  AND    IVlANNER   OF   LlFE  ^^^^JX^S^ 

To  ■WHICH  IS  Added  a  Complete  Account  of  the 
Boxer  Uprising,  the  Outbreak  of  Hostilities,  Mas- 
sacre OF  Missionaries,  Suffering  of  Foreign  Resi- 
dents, Mobilization  of  Fleets  and  Armies,  Final 
Readjustment,  Etc.,  Etc.    j^^^^^jit^^ 


BY 

J.  MARTIN    MILLER 

AN    EXTENSIVE    TRAVELER    THROUGHOUT    CHINA    AND    AUTHOR    OF    THE    TWENTIETH 
CENTURY    HISTORY    AND    ATLAS    OF    THE    WORLD 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH   REPRODUCTIONS   OF   ORIGINAL   PHOTOGRAPHS,  MANY    OF 
WHICH   WERE  TAKEN   BY   THE   AUTHOR 


COPYRIGHT  1900 

BY 

J.  MARTIN  MILLER. 

All  Rights  Reserved. 


PREFACE. 

In  presenting  this  work  to  the  reading  public  the  author  admits  a 
pride  in  contributing  his  share  to  the  records  of  events  which  literally 
have  no  parallel  in  history.  Never  before  has  one  nation  of  the  world 
stood  against  allied  civilization  as  China  has  stood  against  Europe  and 
America  in  the  unique  contest — military,  diplomatic  and  commercial — 
which  is  here  related. 

In  order  to  make  clearer  the  motives  which  impelled  the  participants 
and  the  conditions  which  had  to  be  met,  a  somewhat  full  account  of 
the  history  of  the  Chinese  Empire  is  included  as  a  preliminary  to  the 
more  recent  events  described.  The  dawn  of  civilization  in  China,  the 
progress  of  the  great  empire,  the  early  and  recent  intercourse  with 
European  powers,  the  wars  of  the  past  and  the  war  of  five  years  ago 
with  Japan — all  are  told  in  some  detail.  In  addition  there  have  been 
included  descriptive  chapters  relating  to  the  cities,  the  people,  the 
manners  of  life,  the  pursuits  and  the  country  of  the  Chinese.  To  this 
has  been  added  a  full  and  authentic  account  of  the  rise  of  the  "Boxers," 
with  a  full  description  of  exactly  what  they  are;  the  work  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, who  were  the  object  of  their  first  attack;  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities;  the  sufferings  of  the  foreign  residents  in  Peking  while  they 
were  imprisoned  during  those  weeks  of  terror;  the  mobilization  of  fleets 
and  armies  to  rescue  the  besieged  and  punish  the  guilty;  the  thrilling 
campaigns  and  all  that  followed  them,  and  finally  the  terms  of  read- 
justment under  which  the  world  settled  down  to  peace  again.  In  other 
words  the  effort  has  been  to  make  a  book  so  complete  that  it  will  serve 
as  a  final  compendium  and  reference  work  on  the  subject,  condensed 
into  the  limits  of  a  single  large  volume  and  therefore  most  serviceable 
for  the  greatest  number  of  readers. 

In  a  prolonged  journey  through  the  Chinese  Empire  in  1899,  the 
author  gathered  the  historical  and  descriptive  matter  which  comprise 
the  chapters  devoted  to  those  phases  of  the  subject,  as  well  as  many 
of  the  photographs  which  appear  as  ilustrations. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  "Boxer"  difficulties  a  second  journey  to  the 
scene  of  trouble  was  begun  without  delay,  and  there  with  the  allied 


■7rr-«  /s  /^tf»/-» 


PREFACE. 

forces  throughout  all  the  campaigns  the  facts  which  are  embodied  in 
the  latter  portion  of  the  narrative  were  gathered  or  verified.  It  would 
be  but  effrontery,  however,  for  any  w^riter  to  claim  clear  originality 
for  any  work  about  China.  This  oldest  of  empires  has  been  the  subject 
of  thousands  of  books  and  every  fact  and  every  opinion  has  been  some- 
where said  by  some  other  writer.  To  the  more  famous  of  these  it  is  a 
l^leasure  to  offer  thanks  and  acknowledgments  for  references  verified, 
quotations  reprinted  and  facts  cited.  Careful  study  has  been  made 
of  the  works  of  the  best  authors.  English,  German,  French  and  Ameri- 
can, with  assurance  that  the  best  book  is  the  one  which  seeks  the  best 
sources  for  its  complete  information.  The  resulting  work  is  here  pre- 
sented with  the  hope  and  belief  that  it  will  prove  of  service  to  its  readers. 

J.  MARTIN  MILLER. 


.13 

•a  «  I" 

F    <U    O 


m  °  & 


5S  S 

*J  ^  D.. 


-5    "i  2  ^s 
■a: 


« 


^      So) 

H 

M       <U  t.  3 


--  T3    TO 


is 

tm 


c« 


vi  cd  o 


!5    gf^ 


p.  .. 

to  - 


O  G 


■=  »-  .,,5 

0;  ®  ■*-* 

•a  rajQ^S 
.a      ft. 

O  OS  fc,<-> 

^^  **  s 

^  0)  <1>  ^ 

js-r  a-^ 
-  fc.   is 

c  ^  a!  n 

S.2 

"S     "3  0 

^  "^  -*->  .2! 

"  >•  p 


ss^a 


IS    J3 


^       3  j£ 


—  C8 


■3  t. 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


An  Auction Frontispiece 

PAGE 

The  Execution  of  Pirates  at  Kaulunq H 

A  Christian  Mission  Industrial  ScHOOii 12 

A  Social  Evening  in  a  Chinese  Home 21 

An  Interior  View  of  a  Chinese  Home 23 

Chinese  Residence 39 

Octangular  Doorway 40 

Drawing  Room  of  United  States  Legation  at  Peking 49 

Methodist  Episcopal  Buildings  at  Nanking 50 

A  Cross-Country  Journey 51 

Chinese  Merchants  Selling  Tea  to  a  Commission  House 52 

Chinese  Women Gl 

The  Poor  Man's  Car  in  China 62 

How  the  Feet  of  Chinese  Women  are  Bound 79 

Chinese  Woman's  Small  Foot 80 

Enjoying  an  Opium  Smoke  at  Home 89 

Pawnbroker's  Shop,  Canton 90 

Execution  Grounds  at  Canton 91 

Chinese  Prisoners 92 

Hata  Mun  Street,  City  of  Peking 101 

Temple  Gate  in  Peking 103 

A  Peking  Cart 119 

Harbor  Front  of  a  Chinese  City 120 

The  Dragon  Boat 129 

Packing  Tea 130 

Chinese  Children  at  the  Wayside 131 

FucHAu  Road,  Shanghai 132 

Li  Hung  Chang , 141 

Examination  Hall  at  Peking 142 

Prince  Vaing's  Coffin 159 

The  Peking  Observatory 160 

A  Wedding  Procession 177 

Sedan  Chair 178 

Food  for  Cattle 195 

13 


14  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

On  the  Plains  of  Peiho 196 

Outer  Wall,  Canton 213 

Country  Scene  in  China 214 

Buddhist  Temple,  Canton 231 

Gods  in  One  of  the  Peking  Temples 232 

Avenue  of  Statues  at  the  Ming  Tombs 249 

The  Sleeping  Buddha 250 

Gateway  to  Ming  Tombs 2G7 

Avenue  to  the  Ming  Tombs 268 

KoREAifs  IN  Procession— King's  Body  Guard 285 

Chinkiang — General  View 286 

Chinese  Infantryman 303 

Chinese  Bookseller'- 303 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

Early  Names  Given  to  China — The  Boundaries  of  the  Empire — Area  of  China  Proper — 
The  Vast  Delta  Plain — Great  Mountain  Ranges — The  Rivers  of  China — The  Yang- 
tsze  Klang— The  Grand  Canal— The  Water  Way  to  Peking— The  Lakes  of  China— 
The  Eighteen  Provinces — Area  and  Population — Agricultural  Resources  and  Min- 
eral Wealth — Exports  and  Imports 23 

CHAPTER    H. 

IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

The  Founders  of  a  Nation — Early  Struggles  for  Existence — Myths  and  Fables  of  the 
Ancients — The  Discovery  of  Fire — Early  Modes  of  Worship — The  Great  Chinese 
Flood — The  First  Penal  Code — The  Oppression  of  the  People — Confucius,  the 
Greatest  of  His  Race — Sketch  of  His  Life — End  of  the  Chow  Dynasty — Chi  Huang- 
ti,  the  First  "Universal  Emperor" — Building  of  the  Great  Wall — The  Destruction 
of  the  Libraries— Events  of  Interest  in  the  Contemporaneous  History  of  the 
World  37 

CHAPTER    HI. 

THE  GROWTH  OF  A  GREAT  EMPIRE. 

Constant  Wars  with  Neighboring  Tribes — A  New  Penal  Code  Issued — Revival  of 
Learning — The  Origin  of  "Punch  and  Judy" — The  Emperor  Theodosius  Sends 
Embassadors — Division  of  the  Empire — Arrival  of  the  Nestorian  Missionaries — 
Aid  Against  Enemies  Asked  from  the  Tartars — Death  of  the  Great  General, 
Ghengiz  Kahn — An  Army  Nearly  a  Million  Strong — Founding  of  the  Ming  Dynas- 
ty— War  with  Japan — Fall  of  the  Ming  Dynasty 55 

CHAPTER    IV. 

EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

Grievances  of  the  Tartars  Against  the  Chinese — Fabled  Origin  of  the  Tartar  Dynasty 
— Ching  Che-tung,  the  "Father  of  the  Pirates" — The  Terrible  Koxinga — Why  the 
Chinese  Wear  "Pig-tails" — China's  Greatest  Ruler — Persecution  of  the  Priests — 
Early  European  Intercourse— Marco  Polo  in  China — Arrival  of  the  Portuguese 
— Trade  with  the  Dutch — Great  Britain  in  the  Field — Frequent  Acts  of  Injustice 
Interfere  with  Commerce — "The  Gunner's  Case" — Arrival  of  Lord  Macartney 81 

CHAPTER    V. 

THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND. 

Battles  with  Pirates— The  Embassy  of  Lord  Amherst — Question  of  the  Kowtow — Kea- 
King  Dies  and  is  Succeeded  by  Taou-Kuang — Local  Insurrections  Throughout 
the  Empire— Causes  Leading  to  the  First  War  with  England — Troubles  with  the 
Dealers  in  Opium — Arrival  at  Canton  of  the  Emperor's  Commission — The  British 
Fleet  Blockades  Principal  Ports — Hongkong  Ceded  to  Great  Britain — Treaty  of 
Peace  Signed , 104 

35 


16  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 
The  Revolt  Under  Hung  Sew-tsuen — Capture  of  Nanking — War  Between  China  and 
Great  Britain— Canton  Seized  By  the  English  Forces — Chinese  Treachery — The 
Summer  Palace  Burned  by  "Chinese"  Gordon — End  of  the  Tai-ping  Rebellion — A 
Story  of  Li  Hung  Chang — Persecution  of  the  Missionaries — The  Massacre  at 
Tien-tsin — Extended  Foreign  Relations — Death  of  Emperor  Tung-che — The  First 
Railroad — War  with  France — Extension  of  Telegraph  Lines 115 

CHAPTER  VH. 
GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 
Divisions  of  the  Provinces — The  Walled  Cities — Names  of  the  Streets — Methods  of 
Fighting  Fire — Great  Centers  of  Population — Canton,  the  Metropolis— Dwellers  in 
Houseboats — Peking,  the  Capital — Its  History — Its  Great  Walls — The  Purple  For- 
bidden City — The  Temple  of  Heaven — Shanghai,  a  Great  Commercial  Port — Vic- 
toria, the  English  City  on  the  Island  of  Hongkong — Nanking,  the  "Southern 
Capital" — Tien-tsin,  Hang-chau,  Amoy,  Macao,  Yun-nan — Treaty  Ports  of  the 
Empire  133 

CHAPTER  VHI. 
THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 
Power  of  the  Emperor  Over  the  People — The  Council  of  State — Responsibility  of 
Mandarins — Official  Dishonesty  the  Rule,  Rather  Than  the  Exception — Honest 
Rulers  Are  Shown  Great  Respect — How  the  People  Are  Protected — Cruelty  Prac- 
ticed in  Courts  of  Law — The  Punishment  of  Crime — How  Criminals  Sometimes 
Escape — Horrors  of  Chinese  Prisons — The  Schools  of  China — Rules  of  Conduct  for 
Scholars — The  Teacher's  Authority  Over  the  Pupil — System  of  Public  Examina- 
tions    147 

CHAPTER  IX. 
DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 
Ceremonies  Attending  the  Marriage  Rite  in  Ancient  Times — "The  Moon-light  Old 
Gentleman" — Manner  of  Courtship — Proposals  by  Proxy — Wedding  Gifts — Lit- 
erary Attainments  Recognized  as  an  Equivalent  for  Wealth — Power  of  the  Hus- 
band Over  the  Wife — Women  Placed  Under  Many  Disadvantages — Stories  of 
Infanticide  Greatly  Exaggerated — Funeral  Rites — Human  Sacrifices  at  One  Time 
General — The  Period  of  Mourning — Constant  Anticipation  of  Death — Disposition 
of  Property — How  the  Chinese  Are  Named 163 

CHAPTER  X. 
CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 
Peculiar  Customs  of  the  Chinese  Race — Life  On  the  Rivers  and  Lakes — Opium  Eating 
a  Common  Practice — Rice  Their  Staff  of  Life — Restaurant  Bills  of  Fare — An 
Aristocratic  Menu — Fish  in  Abundance  in  the  Rivers  of  the  Empire — Modes  of 
Catching  Them — Duck  Breeding  a  Profitable  Industry — How  the  Chinese  Dress — 
Costumes  of  Officials — What  the  Women  Wear — How  They  Treat  Their  Faces 
and  Their  Feet — Origin  of  the  Queue 175 

CHAPTER  XL 
HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 
Chinese  Method  of  Dividing  the  Year — The  Beginning  of  the  New  Yes^r — A  Season  of 
National  Rejoicing — Ofiicial  Etiquette  in  Connection  with  Celebrations  of  the 
Event — Superstitions  Regarding  the  First  Day  of  the  Year — New  Year's  Calls 
Customary — The  Feast  of  Lanterns — The  Commencement  of  Spring — Sacrifices  to 
the  God  of  the  Fields — Ceremonies  at  the  Tombs  of  Ancestors — Commemoration 
of  Buddha's  Birthday — Legend  of  the  "Spinning  Damsel" — Rites  Incidental  to 
the  Dying  Year 189 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  17 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    CHINESE    LANGUAGE    AND    LITERATURE. 

Peculiarities  of  tlie  Language — The  Chinese  Possess  No  Alphabet — Beautiful  Inscrip- 
tions for  Ornamental  Purposes — Grammatical  Construction — Language  Not  Diffi- 
cult to  Acquire — A  Literary  People — Books  of  Antiquity — Destruction  of  Literary 
Treasures — How  Many  of  Them  Were  Saved — The  Book  of  Rites— Spring  and 
Autumn  Annals — Works  of  History — Encyclopaedias — Poetry  and  Song — Maxims 
and  Wise  Saws 205 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

RELIGIONS    OF    THE    CHINESE    EMPIRE. 

The  Three  Religions  of  China — The  Doctrines  of  Confucius — Influence  of  Confucian- 
ism on  Succeeding  Ages — Worship  of  Shang-te — Lao-tsze,  the  Founder  of  Taoism 
— The  Principles  of  the  Sect — Introduction  of  Buddhism — The  Dream  of  an  Em- 
peror— Mohammedanism,  and  Its  Few  Followers  in  China — The  Chinese  Nation 
Founded  on  and  Governed  by  Superstitions — Interpretation  of  Dreams — Fortune 
Tellers,  and  Their  Methods— A  Buddhist  Story— How  Horoscopes  are  Cast 223 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

ART,    MUSIC    AND    THE    DRAMA. 

Origin  of  Music — Different  Kinds  of  Drums — Musical  Bells,  and  the  Chinese  Mode  of 
Using  Them — The  Big  Bell  of  Peking — Gong  Fire  Alarms — The  Chinese  Organ — 
Music  Held  in  High  Esteem  in  China — The  Chinese  Drama — Ancient  Pantomimes 
— Domestic  Plays  the  Most  Popular  with  the  People — Lack  of  Scenic  Accessories — 
The  Chinese  as  Artists — Architecture — The  Homes  of  the  People — How  They 
Are  Furnished— Beauty  of  the  Temples 241 

CHAPTER    XV. 

CHINA    IN    SCIENCE,  INVENTION    AND    DISCOVERY. 

Chinese  Origin  of  Printing— Of  Gunpowder — Of  the  Magnetic  Compass — Manufacture 
of  Paper — Work  of  the  Engraver  and  Pressman — Newspapers — Chinese  Ink^ 
Inferiority  in  Gunnery — The  Magnetic  Car — Arts  and  Manufactures — Manner  of 
Ginning  Cotton — Silk  and  Porcelain — Scientific  Knowledge — Practice  of  Medicine 
— Pharmacy — Ignorance  of  Physicians — The  Medical  Profession  Held  in  Light 
Esteem  256 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

RESOURCES    AND    INDUSTRIAL    WEALTH. 

The  Prize  Awaiting  the  World  in  China — Necessary  to  Create  the  Wants  in  Order  to 
Supply  Them— Chinese  Adaptability  to  All  Climates  and  Conditions — Mineral 
Wealth  of  the  Empire — Inadequate  Transportation  Facilities — Agricultural  Con- 
ditions— Supply  and  Cost  of  Labor — Condition  of  the  Workmen — Opium — Textile 
Industries — Execrable  Roads — Railway  Progress — Steamers,  Telegraphs  and 
Posts  272 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

Causes  of  the  War — Japan's  Declaration — China's  Reply — Attack  on  the  Japanese 
Minister — First  Engagement  at  Sea — Alliance  Between  Japan  and  Korea — The 
Battle  at  the  Yalu  River — The  Great  Naval  Engagement  of  the  War — Invasion 
of  the  Second  Japanese  Army  Corps — The  Advance  on  Port  Arthur — Capture  of 
the  City — Horrible  Scenes  of  Slaughter — The  Chinese  Sue  for  Peace — Terms  of 
the  Treaty   284 


18  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

FOREIGN    RELATIONS    SINCE    THE    CHINA-JAPANESE    WAR, 

The  Western  World  Looking  for  the  Partition  of  China — Encroachments  on  Chinese 
Territory — Russian,  English,  German  and  French  Aggressions — The  Siberian 
Railway — Preparations  of  Russia  and  Great  Britain  at  Port  Arthur  and  Wei-hai- 
wei — Foreigners  in  China — Treaty  Ports  and  Their  Population 312 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

Li  Hung  Chang,  the  Most  Famous  Oriental  of  the  Age— His  Great  Wealth— His  Tour 
of  the  World — A  Chinese  Estimate  of  His  Worth— Prince  Ching,  the  Polished — 
A  Friend  of  Foreigners — The  Southern  Viceroys — Not  in  Sympathy  with  the 
Boxer  Element — Yuan  Shih  Kai,  the  Governor  of  Shantung — A  Military  Leader — 
His  Progressive  Character — The  Emperor  and  the  Empress  Dowager 323 

CHAPTER    XX. 

BEGINNING    OF    THE    "BOXER"    OUTBREAK. 

First  Rumors  of  Outrages  Perpetrated  by  the  Society  of  the  Righteous  Fist— Two 
Points  of  View  of  the  Boxers — 1  he  World  Takes  Alarm — Secret  Societies  in  China 
and  Their  Work — Specimens  of  Boxer  Proclamations — The  Ministers  in  Peril — 
Marine  Guard  Arrives — The  Dowager  Empress — Prince  Tuan  in  Power 336 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

FROM    TAKU    TO    TIENTSIN. 

The  March  of  the  Allies  Under  Admiral  Seymour— Good-Fellowship  Prevails— Fight- 
ing All  the  Way — The  American  Captain  McCalla  Lauds  the  British  Admiral 
Seymour — Battle  of  the  Taku  Forts — Casualties  in  the  Fight— Story  of  the  Land 
Battle— Americans  Not  in  the  Attack — Losses  of  the  Allied  Forces— Statement 
of  Commander  Wise— Shell  Strikes  the  Monocacy— Fighting  Around  Tientsin — 
Attacking  the  Walled  City — Colonel  Meade's  Report— Fighting  Among  Corpses 
for  Spoil    350 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

"ON    TO    PEKING." 

Waiting  for  Reinforcements  —  On  the  Road  to  Peking  —  Bravery  of  the  Japanese  — 
Terrific  Fire  of  the  Chinese — Duel  with  Artillery— Gaudy  Banners  in  the  Breeze — 
Brave  Charge  of  the  Boys  in  Blue — Work  of  Reilly's  Battery — Americans  Killed 
by  English  Shells— Rapid  Advance  of  the  Allies — At  the  Gates  of  Peking — The 
Siege  of  the  City  Begun 371 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE    SIEGE    AND    SACK    OF    PEKING. 

Relief  at  Last— Plan  of  the  Attack  on  the  City— Bad  Faith  Charged  Against  Russians 
—First  Entrance  Into  the  City— Fighting  at  the  Gates— Work  of  the  Americans- 
Japanese  Bravery  Admired— Feats  of  Daring— At  the  British  Legation— Besieged 
and  Rescuers  Meet  — Scenes  of  Rejoicing  —  Peking  in  the  Hands  of  the  Allied 
Armies    379 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  19 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

TWO    MONTHS    OF    PERIL. 

The  Terrors  of  the  Siege — The  First  Attaclc — At  the  Mercy  of  Mobs — The  Japanese 
Chancellor  Assassinated — Fanatics  Patrol  the  City — Bravery  of  the  Ministers — 
Dangers  from  Incendiaries — Appeals  for  Relief — Murder  of  Baron  von  Ketteler, 
the  German  Minister  —  Children  Play  with  Spent  Cannon  Balls  —  Sandbags  of 
Satin— Arrival  of  the  Allies 403 

CHAPTER   XXV. 

STORIES    OF    PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE. 

Impressions  and  Memories  of  the  Siege  of  Peking  by  One  of  the  Imprisoned  Mission- 
aries— Imprisonment  in  the  British  Legation — Murder  of  the  German  Ambassador 
— Night  Scenes  of  Horror — Hardships  and  Dangers — Living  on  Horseflesh  and 
Rice— Relief  at  Last 421 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

CHRONICLES    OF    HORROR. 

Sufferings  of  Isolated  Missionaries  Throughout  the  Empire — Escape  of  the  Green 
Party — Torture,  Starvation  and  Death — Seventeen  Days  in  a  Coffin — The  Story  of 
Father  Fridella — Perilous  Journey  to  the  Coast — Russian  Atrocities  in  Manchuria 
— French  Cruelties  at  Tungchau — Massacres  by  the  Germans 433 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

IN    THE    IMPERIAL   CITY    OF    PEKING. 

After  the  Relief  of  Legations — A  Visit  to  the  Forbidden  City — In  the  Palace  of  the 
Emperor  —  The  Empress  Dowager's  Bed  Chamber  —  Rare  Curios  and  Priceless 
Decorations — The  Siege  of  the  Pel  Tang — Brave  Defense  of  the  Catholic  Head- 
quarters —  Weeks  of  Horror  —  Among  Exploding  Mines  —  The  Story  of  Sister 
Angelle — Rescued  at  Last 457 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

FORMULATING    TERMS    OF    PEACE. 

Diplomacy  More  Dilatory  Than  Warfare — Various  Views  of  the  Powers — Demands 
Made  by  the  United  States— Count  von  Waldersee  Appointed  Commander-in- 
Chief  —  Li  Hung  Chang  and  His  Work  —  Punishment  of  the  Guilty  Chinese  — 
Terms  of  Settlement  with  China — Wu  Ting  Fang's  Opinion — Views  of  a  Chinese 
Reformer  473 


u 


H     c  ■ 


CHINA  THE  YELLOW  PERIL 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

Early  Names  Given  to  China— The  Boundaries  of  the  Empire— Area  of  China  Proper— The 
Yast  Delta  Plain— Great  Mountain  Ranges— The  Rivers  of  China— The  Yang-tsze  Kiaug 
—The  Grand  Canal— The  Water  Way  to  Peking— The  Lakes  of  China— The  Eighteen 
Provinces— Area  and  Population— Agi'icultural  Resources  and  Mineral  Wealth— Exports 
and  Imports* 

rHE  spacious  seat  of  ancient  civilization  which  we  call  China 
has  from  the  earliest  times  been  an  object  of  profound  in- 
terest to  the  peoples  of  the  West.  The  enchantment  of  dis- 
tance has  surrounded  it  with  mystery  and  distinguished 
it  by  many  different  appellations,  according  as  it  was  reached  by  the 
southern  sea-route,  or  by  the  northern  land-route  traversing  the  longi- 
tude of  Asia.  In  the  former  aspect  the  name  has  nearly  always  been 
some  form  of  the  name  Sin,  Chin,  Sinse,  China;  in  the  latter  point  of 
view  the  region  in  question  was  known  to  the  ancients  as  the  land  of 
the  Ceres,  to  the  Middle  Ages  as  the  empire  of  Cathay. 

It  was  Cathay  with  its  outlying  island  of  Zipangu  (Japan),  that 
Columbus  sought  to  reach  by  sailing  westward,  confirmed  as  he  was 
in  his  intense  conviction  of  the  smallness  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  vast 
extension  of  Asia  eastward;  and  to  the  day  of  his  death  he  was  full 
of  the  imagination  of  the  proximity  of  the  domain  of  the  Great  Khan 
to  the  islands  and  coasts  which  he  had  discovered.  And  such  im- 
aginations are  curiously  embodied  in  some  of  the  maps  of  the  early 
sixteenth  century,  which  intermingle  on  the  same  coast-line  the  new 
discoveries  from  Labrador  to  Brazil  with  the  provinces  and  rivers  of 
Marco  Polo's  Cathay. 

Cathay  had  been  the  aim  of  the  first  voyage  of  the  Cabots  in  1496, 
and  it  continued  to  be  the  object  of  many  adventurous  voyages  by 
English  and  Hollanders  till  far  on  into  the  sixteenth  century.     At 

33 


24  THE   COUNTRY    OF   THE   CHINESE. 

least  one  memorable  land-journey  also  was  made  by  an  Englishman, 
of  which  the  exploration  of  a  trade-route  to  Cathay  w^as  a  chief  ob- 
ject, that  in  which  Anthony  Jenkinson  and  the  two  Johnsons  reached 
Bokhara  by  way  of  Russia  in  1558-1559.  The  country  of  which  they 
collected  notes  at  that  city  was  still  known  to  them  only  as  Cathay, 
and  its  great  capital  only  as  Cambaluc. 

Cathay,  as  a  supposed  separate  entity,  may  be  considered  to  come 
to  an  end  with  the  journey  of  Benedict  Goes,  the  lay-Jesuit.  This 
admirable  person  was,  in  1603,  dispatched  through  Central  Asia  by 
his  superiors  in  India  with  the  specific  object  of  determining  whether 
the  Cathay  of  the  old  European  writers,  and  of  the  modern  Mahome- 
tans, was  or  was  not  a  distinct  region  from  that  China  of  which  par- 
allel marvels  had  now  for  some  time  been  recounted.  Benedict,  as  one 
of  his  brethren  pronounced  his  epitaph,  "seeking  Cathay  found  Heaven." 
He  died  at  Suchau,  but  not  before  he  had  ascertained  that  Cathay  and 
China  were  one  and  the  same  country. 

China,  as  the  name  is  used  at  the  present  time,  embraces  within  its 
boundaries  the  dependencies  of  Manchuria,  Mongolia,  Jungaria,  Hi, 
East  Turkestan  and  Tibet,  in  addition  to  China  proper.  This  vast  em- 
pire extends  from  18°  30'  to  53°  25'  N.  latitude  and  from  80°  to  130° 
E.  longtiude.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Asiatic  E.ussia  along  a 
frontier  extending  nearly  3,000  miles;  on  the  east  by  those  portions 
of  the  Pacific  ocean  which  are  known  in  the  north  as  the  Sea  of 
Japan,  in  the  central  portion  as  the  Yellow  sea,  and  in  the  south  as  the 
China  sea;  on  the  south  and  south-west  by  the  China  sea,  Cochin- 
China,  and  Burmah;  and  on  the  west  by  Kashmir  and  Russian  Turke- 
stan. 

The  area  of  China  proper  is  not  more  than  half  that  of  the  whole 
empire;  it  extends  as  far  north  only  as  41°  latitude,  and  as  far  west  as 
98°  longitude.  It  is  about  1,474  miles  in  length,  and  its  breadth  is 
about  1,355  miles.  Its  coast-line  measures  about  2,500  miles;  its  land 
frontier  is  described  as  being  4,400  miles  in  length,  and  its  area  is  said 
to  contain  1,848,870  square  miles. 

The  surface  of  the  empire  includes  mountains  and  hills,  valleys 
and  plains.  One  of  its  most  noticeable  features  is  the  immense  delta 
plain  in  the  north-eastern  portion  which,  curving  around  the  moun- 
tainous districts  of  the  province  of  Shan-tung,  extends  for  about  700 
miles  in  a  southerly  direction  from  the  neighborhood  of  Peking,  and 


TEE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE.  25 

varies  from  150  to  500  miles  in  breadth.  Commencing  in  the  prefecture 
of  Yung-ping  Fu,  in  the  province  of  Chih-li,  its  outer  limit  passes  in  a 
westerly  direction  as  far  as  Chang-ping  Chou,  north-west  of  Peking. 
Thence  running  in  a  south-westerly  course  it  passes  westward  of 
Ching-ting  Fu  and  Kuang-ping  till  it  reaches  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Wei  river  in  Ilo-nan.  From  this  point  it  turns  westward  and  crosses 
the  Yellow  river,  in  the  prefecture  of  Huai-king.  Leaving  the  river 
it  takes  a  course  to  the  south-east,  and  passing  west  of  Joo-ning  Fu, 
in  the  province  of  Ho-nan,  it  turns  in  a  more  easterly  direction  as  far 
as  Leuchou  Fu.  From  this  prefecture  an  arm  of  the  plain,  in  which  lies 
the  Tsaou  lake,  stretches  southward  from  the  Huai  river  to  the  Yang- 
tsze  Kiang,  and  trending  eastward  occupies  the  region  between  the 
river  and  Hang-chou  bay.  To  the  north  of  this  arm  rises  a  hilly  dis- 
trict, in  the  center  of  which  stands  the  city  of  Nanking. 

The  boundary  of  the  plain  around  the  mountainous  region  of  Shan- 
tung begins  at  Lai-chau  Fu,  and  describes  a  huge  bow  to  the  west  and 
south.  The  greater  part  of  this  vast  plain  descends  very  gently  towards 
the  sea,  and  is  generally  below  the  level  of  the  Yellow  river,  hence 
the  disastrous  inundations  which  so  often  accompany  its  rise.  Owing 
to  the  great  quantity  of  soil  which  is  brought  down  by  the  waters 
of  the  river,  and  to  the  absence  of  oceanic  currents,  the  delta 
is  rapidly  increasing  and  the  adjoining  seas  are  as  rapidly  be- 
coming shallower.  As  an  instance,  it  is  said  that  the  town  of  Pootai 
was  one  li  (about  one-third  of  an  English  mile)  west  of  the  seashore 
in  the  year  220  B.  C,  and  in  the  year  1730  it  was  140  li  inland,  thus 
giving  a  yearly  encroachment  on  the  sea  of  about  100  feet.  Again, 
Seen-shwuy  Kou,  on  the  Peiho,  was  on  the  seashore  in  500  A.  D.,  and 
it  is  now  about  eighteen  miles  inland. 

The  rest  of  the  empire  may  be  described  as  being  either  moun- 
tainous or  hilly.  Several  ranges  of  high  mountains,  in  connection 
with  the  mountain  system  of  Central  Asia,  enter  the  western  provinces 
of  the  empire,  and  after  traversing  the  western  and  southern  prov- 
inces in  various  directions  dwindle  down  to  low  hills  as  they  approach 
the  seacoast.  In  the  eastern  portion  of  Tibet  the  Kuen-lun  range 
throws  off  a  number  of  small  branches,  which  spread  first  of  all  in  a 
south-easterly  direction,  and  eventually  take  a  north  and  south  course, 
partly  in  the  provinces  of  Sze-chuan  and  Yun-nan,  where  they  divide 


26  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE   CHINESE. 

the  beds  of  the  rivers  which  flow  into  Siam  and  Cochin-China,  as  well 
as  the  principal  northern  tributaries  of  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang. 

Another  range,  known  as  the  Tung-nan,  or  Fu-no  Shan,  which  ap- 
pears to  be  the  eastern  termination  of  the  great  Kuen-lun  range  of 
Central  Asia,  and  which  is  noted  for  several  snow-clad  peaks,  enters 
China  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  province  of  Kan-suh,  and  stretches 
in  an  easterly  direction  across  the  province  of  Shen-se  into  that  of  Ho- 
nan,  where  it  finally  disappears.  This  range  separates  the  waters  which 
enter  the  Yellow  river,  through  the  Wei  and  the  Li  from  those  which 
flow  into  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang,  through  the  Kia-ling  and  the  Han. 
Forming  the  northern  frontier  of  the  province  of  Sze-chuan  runs  the 
Ku-lung  or  Po-mung  range,  which  takes  a  general  course  eastward, 
and  is  finally  lost  sight  of  in  the  province  of  Hu-pih.  In  the  south 
the  Non-shan  ranges,  some  peaks  of  which  reach  above  the  snow- 
level,  take  their  rise  in  Yun-nan,  and  after  spreading  in  a  series  of 
ranges  over  the  south  and  east  portions  of  Kuang-se  trend  in  an  east- 
erly direction,  covering  the  entire  province  of  Kuang-tung.  Then 
turning  north-eastward,  they  occupy  the  whole  area  of  the  provinces 
of  Fuh-keen,  Keang-se,  Che-keang,  Hoo-nan,  and  the  southern  Gan- 
hwuy,  until  they  reach  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang;  which  river,  from  the 
Tung-ting  lake  to  Chin-keang  Fu,  forms  their  northern  boundary. 
It  is  estimated  that  this  mountain  region  occupies  an  area  of  about 
300,000  square  miles. 

Besides  these  more  important  ranges  there  are  the  Lung  mountains 
in  Kan-suh,  the  Ta-hang  mountains  in  Shan-se,  the  Tae  mountains  in 
Shan-tung,  and  many  others,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  ranges 
which  form  the  northern  frontier  of  Chih-li.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that 
there  is  a  general  subsidence  from  the  mountain  districts  in  the  west- 
ern portions  of  the  empire  to  the  central  and  southeastern  provinces, 
where  the  mountains  dwindle  down  to  hills,  and  where  the  snowy 
peaks  and  rugged  sides  of  the  ranges  in  Yun-nan  and  Sze-chuen  are 
exchanged  for  the  wooded  tops  and  carefully  cultivated  terraces  of 
the  littoral  provinces. 

The  rivers  of  China  are  very  numerous,  and,  with  the  canals,  form 
some  of  the  most  frequented  highways  in  the  empire.  The  two  larg- 
est are  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  and  the  Hoang-ho,  or  Yellow  river,  the 
latter  of  which  is  less  known  to  fame  for  its  value  in  a  commercial 
sense,  than  by  reason  of  the  vast  and  destructive  floods  which  have 


THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE.  2T 

from  time  to  time  caused  it  to  inundate  the  low-lying  country  on 
either  side  of  its  banks.  According  to  Chinese  geographers  the  Yel- 
low river  takes  its  rise  in  the  "Sea  of  Stars,"  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Bayen-kara  mountains  in  Mongolia,  where  it  has  gained  for  itself 
the  name  of  Ah-urh-tan,  or  Golden  river,  from  the  color  of  its  waters. 
For  some  miles  it  runs  in  two  streams,  and  when  united  takes  at  first 
a  southeasterly  course;  then,  turning  to  the  northeast,  it  traverses 
the  province  of  Kan-suh  and  passes  through  the  great  wall  until  it 
reaches  the  rising  ground  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  In-shan.  Here 
it  curves  to  the  southeast  and  south,  and  re-enters  China  proper  through 
the  wall,  continuing  its  southern  course,  and  forming  the  boundary 
between  the  provinces  of  Shen-se  and  Shan-se  as  far  as  Tung-kuan. 
Here  it  makes  a  sharp  bend  and  runs  nearly  due  east  to  Kai-fung  Fu. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  this  city  it  enters  on  the  great  eastern  plain  of 
China,  and  the  alterations  which  have  taken  place  in  its  bed  between 
this  district  and  the  sea  have  earned  for  it  the  well-deserved  title  of 
"the  Sorrow  of  Han." 

According  to  the  Chinese  records  this  portion  of  the  river  has 
changed  its  course  nine  times  during  the  last  2,500  years,  and  has 
emptied  itself  into  the  sea  at  as  many  different  mouths,  the  most  north- 
erly of  which  is  represented  as  having  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
present  mouth  of  the  Peiho,  about  39  degrees  latitude,  and  the  most 
southerly  being  that  which  existed  before  the  last  change  in  1851-1853, 
in  34  degrees  latitude.  The  breaches  that  were  made  in  the  northern 
bank  of  the  river  east  of  Kai-fung  Fu  during  the  floods  of  1851,  1852, 
and  1853  caused  the  waters  gradually  to  overflow  the  low-lying  country 
to  the  northward;  and  these,  after  spreading  over  a  belt  of  country 
about  tAvelve  miles  in  width,  struck  the  bed  of  the  Ta-tsing  river,  and 
having  forced  their  way  into  that  narrow,  clean  cut  channel,  followed  it 
to  the  sea. 

The  result  of  this  change  has  been  that  the  old  course  of  the  river 
is  dry,  and  that  the  muddy,  dun-colored  waters,  after  permanently 
flooding  a  large  tract  of  country,  are  now  leading  up  to  another  grand 
catastrophe  by  destroying  the  banks  of  the  new  channel  which  they 
have  found  for  themselves.  The  increased  volume  of  water  has  added 
another  obstruction  to  those  before  existing  to  the  navigation  of  the 
river  by  destroying  the  large  bridge  at  Tse-hoheen,  a  town  about  200 
miles  from  its  mouth,  the  ruins  of  which  have  seriously  impeded  the 


28  TEE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

course  of  the  stream.  But  the  Yellow  river  is  of  little  value  for  pur- 
poses of  navigation.  At  its  mouth  lies  a  bar  having  at  its  deepest 
part  less  than  nine  feet  of  water;  further  up,  about  three  miles  below 
Tse-hoheen,  there  is  a  shoal  extending  across  the  bed,  at  the  deepest 
point  of  which  there  is  about  eleven  feet  of  water,  while  in  the  passage 
at  the  extremity  of  the  sunken  bridge  there  is  a  depth  of  only  about 
five  feet. 

A  far  more  valuable  river  in  every  way  is  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang,  which 
takes  its  rise  in  the  Min  mountains  of  Tibet,  and  after  a  course  of  2,900 
miles  empties  itself  into  the  Yellow  sea.  Chinese  geographers  state 
that  this  river  has  two  sources,  the  more  northerly  of  which  gives  birth 
to  the  Kang-chuh  ah-lin  at  a  point  about  1,600  li  to  the  southeast  of  the 
source  of  the  Yellow  river;  and  to  the  more  southerly  one  of  the  two  the 
Na-ko-to-moo-tsing  ah-lin,  which  rises  on  the  south  of  the  range,  owes 
its  existence.  Both  these  streams  twist  and  turn  eastward  for  upwards 
of  200  li,  where  they  unite  and  form  one  stream,  which  flows  to  the  east 
and  then  to  the  south  until  it  enters  the  Chinese  province  of  Yun-nan 
at  the  Hwang-shin g  pass,  or  "Pass  of  Imperial  Victory." 

The  river  then  turns  northward  into  the  province  of  Sze-chuan,  where 
it  takes  several  important  tributaries,  and  passes  into  Hu-pih.  Flow- 
ing to  the  south  it  reaches  the  vicinity  of  the  Tung-ting  lake,  the  waters 
of  which  contribute  largely  to  swell  its  volume;  it  then  curves  north- 
ward as  far  as  Han-kau,  receiving  on  the  way  the  waters  of  the  Han 
river,  and  again  turns  southward  to  the  Po-yang  lake.  Thence  through 
the  province  of  Gan-hwuy  it  proceeds  in  a  northeasterly  direction  until 
it  reaches  Nanking,  200  miles  from  the  sea.  Here  the  influence  of  the 
tide  begins  to  be  felt,  and  beyond  this  point  it  gradually  widens  into 
the  great  estuary  by  which  it  is  connected  with  the  ocean.  The  basin 
area  of  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  is  calculated  to  be  about  548,000  square 
miles,  and  it  is  navigable  for  steamers  as  far  as  Ichang,  upwards  of 
1,200  miles  from  its  mouth. 

Unlike  the  Yellow  river,  along  the  navigable  portion  of  the  Yang- 
tsze  Kiang  are  dotted  many  rich  and  populous  cities,  among  which 
the  chief  are  Nanking,  Gan-king,  Kew-kiang,  Han-kau,  and  Ichang. 
Beyond  this  last  named  city  the  navigation  becomes  impossible  for  any 
but  light  native  craft,  by  reason  of  the  rapids  which  occur  at  frequent 
intervals  in  the  deep  mountain  gorges  through  which  the  river  runs. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  as  a  water  highway  is 


THE   COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE.  29 

the  Yun-ho,  or,  as  it  is  generally  known  to  foreigners,  the  Grand  canal. 
This  magnificent  artificial  river  reaches  from  Hang-chau  Fu  in  the 
province  of  Che-kiang  to  Tien-tsin  in  Chih-li,  where  it  unites  with  the 
Peiho,  and  thus  may  be  said  to  extend  to  Tung-chau  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Peking.  After  leaving  Hang-chau  it  passes  around  the  eastern 
border  of  Tai-liu,  or  Great  lake,  surrounding  in  its  course  the  beautiful 
city  of  Su-chau,  and  then  trends  in  a  generally  northwesterly  direction 
through  the  fertile  districts  of  Kiang-su  as  far  as  Chinkiang  on  the 
Yang-tsze  Kiang.  From  here  it  flows  until  it  reaches  the  course  of  the 
Yellow  river,  and  when  it  reaches  the  city  of  Lin-tsing-Cliau,  it  is  joined 
at  right  angles  by  the  Wei  river,  from  where  it  crosses  the  frontier  into 
Cliih-li.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Tsing  Heen  it  receives  the  waters  of 
the  Ke-to,  and  finally  joins  the  Peiho  at  Tien-tsin. 

Another  of  the  large  rivers  of  the  country  is  the  Han  Kiang,  which 
rises  in  the  Po-mung  or  Kew-lung  mountains  in  the  province  of 
Shen-se,  and  flows  into  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  at  Han-kau,  "the  mouth 
of  the  Han."  A  noticeable  peculiarity  of  this  stream  is  that  it  is  very 
narrow  at  its  mouth  (200  feet)  and  grows  in  width  as  the  distance  from 
its  mouth  increases.  Another  marked  feature  is  that  the  summer  high 
water  line  is  for  a  great  part  of  its  course  above  the  level  of  its  banks, 
the  result  being  that  were  it  not  for  artificial  barriers  the  whole  part 
of  the  surrounding  country  would  be  under  water  for  a  great  part  of 
the  year. 

The  Peiho  is  a  river  of  importance  as  being  the  water-way  to  Peking. 
Taking  its  course  in  Se-shan,  or  Western  mountains,  beyond  Peking,  it 
passes  the  city  of  Tung-chau,  the  port  of  Peking,  and  Tien-tsin,  where  it 
meets  the  waters  of  the  Yun-ho,  and  empties  itself  into  the  gulf  of 
Pechili  at  the  village  of  Taku.  The  Peiho  is  navigable  for  small  steam- 
ers as  far  as  Tien-tsin  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  but  throughout 
the  winter  months,  that  is  to  say,  from  the  end  of  November  to  the  be- 
ginning of  March,  it  is  frozen  over. 

There  are  numerous  lakes  in  the  central  provinces  of  China,  the  larg- 
est being  Tung-ting  in  Hu-nan,  which,  according  to  Chinese  geographers, 
is  about  266  miles  in  circumference.  The  Tai  lake,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Su-chau  Fu,  is  also  celebrated  for  its  size  and  the  beauty  of  its  sur- 
roundings. It  is  about  150  miles  in  circumference,  and  is  dotted  over 
with  islands,  on  which  are  built  temples  for  the  devotees  of  religion, 


30  THE   COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

and  summer  houses  for  the  votaries  of  pleasure  from  the  rich  and  volup- 
tuous cities  of  Ilang-chau  and  Su-chau. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in  the  physical  geography  of 
China  is  the  existence  of  a  vast  region  of  loess  in  the  northern  portion 
of  the  empire.  This  particular  formation  covers  an  area  of  about  25,000 
square  miles.  Loess  is  a  solid  but  friable  earth  of  a  brownish  yellow 
color,  spreading  over  high  and  low  grounds  alike,  and  is  often  found 
covering  the  sub-soil  to  a  depth  of  over  1,000  feet.  From  an  economical 
point  of  view  the  loess  is  invaluable  to  the  natives  of  the  north  of  China. 
In  its  perpendicular  cliffs,,  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  are  dug  innumer- 
able caves,  in  which  a  large  majority  of  the  people  inhabiting  the  loess 
region  dwell,  while  its  surface  yields  abundant  crops.  The  Chinese  call 
it  Hoang-tu,  or  "Yellow  earth,"  and  it  has  been  suggested  that  the  im- 
perial title  of  Hoang-te,  "Yellow  emperor,"  or  "Ruler  of  the  Yellow,"  had 
its  origin  in  the  fact  that  the  emperor  was  lord  of  the  loess  or  the  "Yel- 
low earth." 

China  proper  is  divided  into  eighteen  provinces,  namely:  Chih-li, 
Shan-tung,  Shan-se,  Ho-nan,  Kiang-su,  Gan-hwuy,  Kiang-se,  Che-kiang, 
Fuh-een,  Hoo-pih,  Hu-nan,  Shen-se,  Kan-suh,  Sze-chuan,  Kuang-tung, 
Kuang-se,  Kuei-chau,  and  Yun-nan. 

The  metropolitan  province  of  Chih-li,  in  which  is  situated  Peking, 
the  capital  of  the  empire,  contains  an  area  of  58,949  square  miles,  and 
a  population,  according  to  the  latest  census  reports,  of  27,000,000.  The 
province  is  rich  in  mineral  wealth,  the  mountain  ranges  to  the  north 
containing  coal  in  large  quantities.  Iron  and  silver  also  exist  to  a  lim- 
ited extent.  The  principal  agricultural  products  are  wheat,  oats,  millet, 
maize,  pulse,  and  potatoes.  Fruits  and  vegetables  are  also  grown  in 
large  quantities.  Of  the  former  the  chief  kinds  are  pears,  plums,  apri- 
cots, peaches,  persimmons,  and  melons.  Tien-tsin  is  the  treaty  port  of 
the  province,  and  is  a  city  of  considerable  commercial  importance. 

The  province  of  Shan-tung,  or  "East  of  the  Mountains,"  lies  directly 
south  of  Chih-li,  and  contains  an  area  of  65,104  square  miles,  with  a 
population  of  about  30,000,000.  It  is  divided  into  ten  prefectures,  with 
as  many  prefectural  cities,  of  which  Tsi-nan  Fu,  the  provincial  capital, 
is  the  chief.  The  physical  features  of  the  province  are  plainly  marked, 
the  center  and  eastern  portions  being  occupied  by  a  series  of  mountain 
ranges,  between  which  lie  fertile  valleys,  while  the  northwestern,  south- 
ern, and  western  portions  form  a  part  of  the  great  delta  plain. 


THE   COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE.  31 

Speaking  generally  the  province  is  not  a  fertile  one.  Not  being  in 
the  loess  region,  the  mountains  are  unproductive,  and  yield  only  brush- 
wood and  grass,  while  the  plain  to  the  north  is  so  impregnated  with 
salt  that  it  is  almost  valueless  for  agricultural  purposes.  The  valleys 
between  the  mountains  and  the  plain  to  the  southwest  are,  however, 
extremely  rich  and  fertile.  The  chief  wealth  of  Shan-tung  consists  in 
its  minerals,  the  principal  of  which  is  coal.  Iron  ore,  ironstone,  gold, 
galena,  lead  and  copper  are  also  found  in  considerable  quantities  in 
many  parts  of  the  province.  Bhan-tung  abounds  in  good  harbors,  the 
most  noteworthy  of  which  are  Che-fu  and  Wei-hai-wei  on  the  north,  and 
Shih-taou,  Kin-kea-kau,  and  Ching-taou  on  the  south  of  the  promon- 
tory. The  province  has  acquired  undying  fame  in  the  Chinese  world 
of  literature  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  it  is  the  birthplace  of  both  Con- 
fucius and  Mencius. 

Shan-se  lies  to  the  west  of  Chih-li,  and  occupies  an  area  of  53,268 
square  miles.  The  capital  is  Tae-yuen  Fu,  and  there  are  eight  other 
prefectural  cities.  The  population  is  returned  as  being  14,004,210.  Min- 
ing is  the  principal  industry,  the  agricultural  products  being  few  and 
of  a  poor  quality.  The  means  of  transport  are  rude  and  insufficient, 
and  all  kinds  of  food  command  unusually  high  prices. 

Ho-nan,  which  lies  to  the  south  of  Shan-se  and  Chih-li,  has  been 
highly  favored  by  nature.  It  has  an  area  of  65,404  square  miles,  and 
that  portion  lying  north  of  the  Yellow  river  is  a  fertile  plain,  "rendered 
park-like  by  numerous  plantations  of  trees  and  shrubs,  among  which 
thick  bosquets  of  bamboo  contrast  with  the  gloomy  leaves  of  cypress." 
All  kinds  of  cereals  grow  luxuriantly,  and  the  general  productiveness  of 
the  district  is  indicated  by  the  extreme  denseness  of  the  population. 
Cotton  is  grown  extensively  and  forms  the  principal  product  of  export, 
and  a  considerable  quantity  of  wild  silk  is  produced  in  the  mountains 
of  Fu-nu  Shan. 

The  area  of  Kiang-su  is  45,000  square  miles,  and  it  contains  a  larger 
population  than  any  other  province  in  the  empire,  the  latest  census  giv- 
ing it  37,843,501.  It  forms  a  part  of  the  great  plain  of  northern  China, 
and  there  are  no  mountains  within  its  limits.  The  Grand  canal  runs 
through  it  from  south  to  north,  and  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  crosses  its 
southern  portion  from  west  to  east.  Besides  these  water-ways  it  pos- 
sesses several  lakes,  the  most  noteworthy  of  which  is  the  Tai-hu,  and 
numberless  streams  connect  the  canal  with  the  sea.    Its  coast  is  studded 


32  THE   COUNTRY  OF  TEE   CHINESE. 

with  low  islands  and  sand-banks,  the  result  of  the  deposits  brought 
down  by  the  Yellow  river  during  the  different  periods  in  which  in  the 
course  of  its  history  it  has  flowed  into  the  Yellow  sea. 

Kiang-su  is  rich  in"places  of  interest  Nanking,  "the  Southern  Capi- 
tal," was  the  seat  of  the  Chinese  court  until  the  commencement  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  and  in  modern  times  it  has  been  famous  as  having 
been  the  headquarters  of  the  Tai-ping  rebels,  from  1853,  when  they  took 
the  city  by  assault,  to  1864,  when  its  garrison  yielded  to  "Chinese"  Gor- 
don's "ever  victorious  army."  Hang-chau  Fu  and  Su-chau  Fu  on  the 
Tai-hu  are  considered  the  most  beautiful  cities  in  China.  "Above  there 
is  Paradise,  below  are  Su  and  Hang,"  says  a  Chinese  proverb.  Tea  and 
silk  are  the  principal  articles  of  commerce  produced  in  the  province, 
and  next  in  importance  are  cotton,  sugar,  and  medicines. 

The  two  treaty  ports  of  Kiang-su  are  Shanghai,  on  the  Wu-sung 
river,  and  Chin-kiang,  on  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang.  The  former  is  the  com- 
mercial metropolis  of  the  Chinese  empire,  and  over  one-half  of  the  total 
value  of  the  foreign  imports  at  all  the  treaty  ports  passes  through  this 
port.  The  trade  of  Shanghai  in  foreign  vessels,  import  and  export, 
amounted  in  1895  to  over  $175,000,000. 

The  province  of  Gan-hwuy,  "Peace  and  Plenty,"  is  situated  to  the 
south  of  Ho-nan,  covering  an  area  of  48,461  square  miles,  and  containing 
a  population  of  34,108,059  souls.  Its  principal  city  is  Gan-king  on  the 
Yang-tsze  Kiang,  besides  which  it  numbers  seven  prefectural  cities. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  productive  provinces  of  China.  Over  the  whole 
of  its  southern  portion  tea  is  largely  grown,  and  cotton  is  raised  in 
immense  quantities.  The  Shun-gan  Kiang  is  the  principal  river  of  the 
province,  and  is  of  great  importance  for  foreign  commerce,  supplying  as 
it  does  direct  water  communication  between  some  of  the  principal  tea- 
growing  districts  in  the  neighborhood  of  Hang-chau. 

Lying  to  the  south  of  Gan-hwuy  is  Kiang-si,  covering  an  area  of 
.  72,176  square  miles,  and  containing  a  population  of  19,000,000.     It  is 
divided  into  fourteen  prefectures,  and  the  provincial  capital  is  Nan- 
chang  Fu.     The  entire  province  is  mountainous,  but  the  soil  is  pro- 
ductive, and  produces  the  finest  black  teas  grown  in  the  empire. 

In  southeastern  China  is  found  Clie-kiang,  the  smallest  of  the  eigh- 
teen provinces,  having  an  area  of  only  35,000  square  miles,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  about  20,000,000.  It  is  situated  in  a  jyortion  of  the  empire 
which  boasts  of  a  delightful  climate,  and  is  renowned  for  its  beautiful 


THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE.  33 

cities.  Hang-cliau,  the  capital,  Ning-po,  Hu-chau,  and  Kea-liing  are 
famous  cities  of  the  empire,  and  even  in  1286  Marco  Polo  described  the 
first  named  as  "beyond  dispute  the  noblest  in  the  world."  Opposite 
Ning-po,  at  a  distance  of  about  fift}'  miles,  lies  the  island  of  Chusan,  the 
largest  of  a  group  bearing  that  general  name.  This  island  is  about 
twenty  miles  long  and  fifty  miles  in  circumference.  It  is  very  moun- 
tainous, and  is  surrounded  by  numerous  islands  and  islets.  On  its  south 
side  stands  the  walled  town  of  Ting-hai,  in  front  of  which  is  the  principal 
harbor.    The  population  is  returned  as  50,000. 

The  province  of  Fuh-keen,  or  as  it  was  once  called,  Min,  has  an  area 
of  53,480  square  miles,  and  a  popvilation  estimated  at  about  20,000,000. 
It  has  two  treaty  ports,  Amoy  and  Fu-chau  Fu,  at  both  of  which  a  very 
large  amount  of  foreign  trade  is  done.  The  island  of  Formosa  lies  about 
eighty  miles  from  the  main  land,  and  was  formerly  a  part  of  this 
province.  It  was,  however,  surrendered  to  Japan  at  the  close  of  the  war 
with  that  nation. 

Hu-pih,  "North  of  the  Lakes,"  is  situated  to  the  south  of  Ho-nan, 
occupying  an  area  of  70,450  square  miles,  and  containing  a  population 
of  27,370,098.  The  most  important  city  within  its  borders  is  the  treaty 
port  of  Han-kau,  besides  which  it  contains  ten  other  prefectural  cities. 
The  greater  part  of  the  province  forms  a  plain,  and  its  most  noticeable 
feature  is  the  Ilan  river,  the  valley  of  which  yields  immense  crops  of 
cotton,  wheat,  rape  seed,  tobacco,  and  various  kinds  of  beans.  Vegetable 
tallow  is  also  exported  in  large  quantities  from  this  part  of  Hu-pih. 
Gold  is  found  in  the  Han,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantities  to  make  the 
working  of  it  more  than  barely  remunerative.  It  is  washed  every  winter 
from  banks  of  coarse  gravel,  on  which  it  is  deposited  by  the  river. 

Hu-nan,  "South  of  the  Lakes,"  joins  Hu-pih  on  the  south,  and  was 
formerly  a  part  of  that  province.  It  has  an  area  of  84,000  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  about  18,000,000.  It  is  essentially  a  province  of 
hills,  the  only  plain  of  any  extent  being  that  around  the  Tung-ting  lake, 
but  this  extends  little  beyond  the  area  which  in  summer  forms  part  of 
the  lake.  North  of  the  prefecture,  Hang-chau,  higher  groups  of  moun- 
tains are  found  than  those  in  the  southern  part  of  the  province.  Among 
these  is  the  Hang-shan,  one  of  the  Wu-yo,  or  five  sacred  mountains  of 
China,  upon  which  the  celebrated  tablet  of  Yu  was  placed.  Large 
quantities  of  coal,  both  anthracite  and  bituminous,  are  mined,  the 
whole  of  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  province  being  one  vast  coal- 


U  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

field.  The  people  are,  as  a  rule,  more  generally  prosperous  than  are 
the  inhabitants  of  the  other  provinces,  and  Baron  von  Richthofen,  in 
the  course  of  a  journey  through  this  section,  noticed  with  surprise  the 
number  of  fine  country  seats  owned  by  rich  men  who  had  retired  from 
business,  which  were  scattered  throughout  the  rural  districts. 

The  province  of  Shen-si  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Great  wall, 
on  the  west  by  Kan-suh,  on  the  south  by  Sze-chuan,  and  on  the  east  by 
Bhan-si,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Yellow  river.  It  contains  an 
area  of  67,400  square  miles,  and  its  population  was  said  to  number  up- 
wards of  10,000,000  prior  to  the  Mahometan  rebellion  of  1800-1875.  A 
barrier  of  mountains  divides  the  province  into  two  parts,  the  northern 
portion  including  the  basins  of  the  Wei  river,  and  of  several  other 
tributaries  to  the  Hoang-ho.  The  position  of  the  Wei  basin  is  peculiar. 
Cut  off  from  the  rest  of  China  on  the  east  by  the  Yellow  river,  and  on 
the  south  by  the  mountains,  it  yet  forms  the  great  channel  of  communi- 
cation with  central  Asia.  Its  position,  therefore,  from  a  strategical  point 
of  view  is  at  once  apparent.  Were  it  in  the  hands  of  an  enemy  the 
Chinese  colonies  in  central  Asia  would  be  completely  severed  from  the 
mother  country,  and  hence  the  eagerness  which  has  been  evinced  by 
the  government  throughout  all  history  to  retain  possession  of  the  region. 

For  upwards  of  2,000  years,  with  the  exception  of  intervals  from 
1122  B.  C.  to  1127  A.  D.,  the  city  of  Se-gan  Fu,  which  lies  in  the  basin, 
was  the  capital  of  the  empire.  Its  walls  enclose  a  space  of  six  miles 
each  way,  and,  unlike  most  Chinese  cities,  its  fortifications  are  kept  in 
perfect  repair. 

The  Wei  basin  is  the  greatest  agricultural  country  in  the  northwest. 
Being  a  loess  region  it  is  unfit  for  rice,  but  it  produces  fine  crops  of 
cotton,  wheat,  opium,  barley  and  maize,  at  a  minimum  expenditure  of 
labor.  The  Shen-si  opium  is  much  valued  by  smokers,  and  ranks  next  to 
the  Shan-si  drug,  which  is  second  only  to  that  produced  in  Kan-su.  Coal 
abounds  in  the  northern  part  of  the  province,  but  owing  to  difficulty  of 
transit  it  is  not  worked  to  any  great  extent.  The  winters  are  cold,  but 
short,  and  though  fruit  trees  abound  and  are  most  productive,  no  ever- 
green trees  or  shrubs  are  to  be  met  with  within  the  province. 

Kan-su,  the  largest  province  in  the  empire,  contains  an  area  of  260,- 
000  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  about  20,000,000.  It  occupies  the 
extreme  northwestern  corner  of  the  empire,  projecting  like  a  wedge 
into  the  Desert  of  Gobi.    For  the  most  part  this  province  is  a  howling 


THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  CHINESE.  36 

wilderness  of  sand  and  snow,  but  to  the  east  of  the  Yellow  river  the 
country  is  cultivated  and  to  some  extent  productive.  The  chief  products 
are  cloth,  horse  hides,  a  kind  of  curd  like  butter,  "which  melts  in  the 
mouth,"  and  is  known  to  the  Mongols  under  the  name  of  wuta,  plums, 
onions,  dates,  melons,  and  medicines. 

Sze-chuan,  "the  Four  Streams,"  was  until  Kan-su  was  extended  across 
the  desert  the  largest  province  in  China.  It  has  an  area  of  220,000 
square  miles,  and  a  population  variously  estimated  at  from  40,000,000  to 
60,000,000.  Its  productions  are  varied  and  valuable,  and,  unlike  those 
of  the  northern  provinces,  are  eminently  suitable  for  foreign  export. 
First  on  the  list  stands  silk,  and  of  this  article  of  commerce  a  larger 
quantity  is  produced  in  eastern  Sze-chuan  than  in  any  other  province 
of  the  empire. 

The  cultivation  of  the  poppy  is  largely  carried  on,  but  the  opium 
produced  is  of  an  inferior  quality,  and  its  exportation  is,  therefore,  lim- 
ited. White  wax  is  another  of  the  most  valuable  articles  produced  in 
this  province.  It  is  made  exclusively  in  the  department  of  Kea-ting  Fu, 
the  climate  of  which  appears  to  favor  the  propagation  of  the  disease 
among  the  insects  which  is  said  by  the  natives  to  be  the  cause  of  the 
plentiful  secretion  of  the  wax.  Tobacco  occupies  a  prominent  place 
among  the  productions  of  Sze-chuan,  and  is  exported  in  large  quantities. 
The  habit,  which  is  unknown  in  other  provinces,  of  smoking  tobacco 
leaves  rolled  up  in  the  shape  of  cigars  obtains  largely  here.  Ning-yuen 
Fu  is  the  principal  district  in  which  copper  is  produced,  as  much  as 
from  500  to  600  tons  a  year  being  exported  from  this  one  prefecture. 
The  mines  are  owned  by  private  companies,  who  are  bound  by  the  terms 
of  their  license  to  sell  the  metal  at  a  fixed  price  to  certain  holders  of 
a  government  concession,  who  in  turn  are  required  to  pay  a  certain 
amount  into  the  provincial  treasury. 

The  province  of  Kuang-tung  borders  on  the  sea,  south  of  Hu-nan, 
Kiang-si,  and  Fu-keen.  It  contains  an  area  of  79,456  square  miles,  and 
a  population  of  20,000,000.  Its  mineral  wealth  is  considerable,  and 
the  soil  of  its  valleys  and  plains  is  very  fertile.  The  principal  article  of 
export  is  silk,  which  is  produced  in  the  district  forming  the  river  delta, 
extending  from  Canton,  the  capital,  to  Macao,  and  having  its  apex  at 
San-shwuy  Heen.  Tea  is  also  grown  in  many  districts,  and  is  exported 
in  large  amounts.  Matting,  fire-crackers,  sugar,  and  palm-leaf  fans, 
millions  of  the  latter  being  sent  yearly  to  the  United  States  alone,  are 


36  THE   COUNTRY  OF  THE   CHINESE. 

among  other  prominent  articles  of  merchandise.  The  Kuang-tung  coast 
abounds  in  islands,  the  largest  of  which  is  Hainan,  which  forms  part  of 
the  prefecture  of  Keung-chau  Fu. 

Kuang-si  lies  to  the  west  of  Kuang-tung,  and  has  an  area  of  78,250 
square  miles,  with  a  population  of  about  8,000,000.  The  provincial  cap- 
ital is  Kwei-ling  Fu,  or  "City  of  the  Forest  of  Cinnamon  Trees."  The 
province  is  well  watered,  and  there  are  a  number  of  important  .towns, 
notably  Wuchau,  on  the  border  of  Kuang-tung,  and  Nanning. 

Kwei-chau,  with  an  area  of  64,554  square  miles,  and  a  population 
of  about  6,000,000,  is  the  poorest  province  in  the  empire  from  an  agri- 
cultural standpoint,  but  it  possesses  considerable  mineral  wealth.  Cop- 
per, silver,  lead  and  zinc  are  found  in  large  quantities,  and  as  regards 
quick-silver,  it  is  probably  the  richest  district  in  the  world. 

The  province  of  Yun-nan,  "South  of  the  Clouds/'  occupies  an  area 
of  107,969  square  miles,  but  though  thus  the  third  largest  province  in 
the  empire,  its  population  is  estimated  at  less  than  6,000,000.  This  is  in 
a  great  measure  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  it  has  been  torn  with 
civil  wars,  which  have  cost  the  lives  of  thousands,  and  driven  many 
more  beyond  its  borders.  Like  Kwei-chow,  it  is  very  rich  in  minerals, 
the  mining  industry  greatly  overshadowing  the  work  in  the  factories 
and  the  fields.  In  fact  it  is  claimed  that  in  its  hills  and  mountains  may 
be  found  more  gold,  silver,  copper,  zinc,  lead  and  tin  than  in  any  other 
province  in  the  empire.  The  capital  is  Yun-nan,  and  it  is  a  town  of 
considerable  commercial  importance,  controlling  as  it  does  the  greater 
part  of  the  trade  between  China  and  Burma,  which  country  joins  the 
province  on  the  south. 

It  is  evident  that  the  country  of  the  Chinese  is  a  highly  favored  one. 
Possessing  as  it  does  fertile  lands  on  which  almost  every  product  under 
the  sun  may  be  grown,  vast  fields  of  mineral  wealth  of  every  kind,  and 
water-ways  to  furnish  the  means  of  transportation  of  these  treasures 
to  all  parts  of  the  empire,  and  to  the  sea,  the  nation  has  had  it  within 
her  power  to  become  one  of  the  commercial  giants  of  the  world.  It  is 
the  purpose  of  the  following  pages  to  show  some  of  the  things  which 
have  prevented  this  consummation,  and  which  will  continue  to  militale 
against  the  people  of  the  "Flowery  Kingdom"  until  they  adopt  modern 
ideas  in  place  of  the  industrial  methods  of  twenty  centuries  ago. 


CHAPTER  1 1. 
IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

The  Founders  of  a  Nation— Early  Struggles  for  Existence— Myths  and  Fables  of  the 
Ancients— The  Discovery  of  Fire— Early  Modes  of  Worship— The  Grreat  Chinese  Flood 
—The  First  Penal  Code— The  Oppression  of  the  People— Confucius,  the  Greatest  of  His 
Race— Sketch  of  His  Life— End  of  the  Chow  Dynasty— Chi  Huang- ti,  the  First  "Uni- 
versal Emperor" — Building  of  the  Great  Wall — The  Destruction  of  the  Libraries — Events 
of  interest  in  the  Contemporaneous  History  of  the  World. 

rAR  reaching  as  is  the  history  of  China,  it  yet  fails  to  give  us  any 
authentic  account  of  the  origin  of  the  Chinese  race.  The  Mon- 
golian, like  his  more  civilized  brother  in  other  lands,  has  many 
mythological  accounts  of  the  beginning  of  his  people  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  some  of  this  ancient  lore  agrees  so  well  with  the 
stories  of  other  races  that  it  may  be  fairly  considered  to  possess  an  ele- 
ment of  historic  truth. 

We  first  discover  the  founders  of  the  nation  as  a  little  horde  of  wan- 
derers, roving  among  the  forests  of  Shan-si,  without  horses,  without 
clothing,  without  fire  to  prepare  their  victuals,  and  subsisting  on  the 
spoils  of  the  chase,  eked  out  with  roots  and  insects.  Investigation,  how- 
ever, has  proved  beyond  a  doubt  that  these  wanderers  were  not  native 
sons  of  the  soil,  but  were  pilgrims  and  strangers  from  other  lands. 
Some  believe  that  their  point  of  departure  was  in  the  region  to  the 
south-east  of  the  Caspian  sea,  and  that,  having  crossed  the  headwaters 
of  the  Oxus,  they  made  their  way  to  the  eastward  along  the  southern 
slopes  of  the  Tien-shan.  But  however  this  may  be,  it  is  plain  that  as 
they  journeyed  they  struck  on  the  northern  course  of  the  Yellow  river, 
and  that  they  followed  its  stream  on  the  eastern  bank  as  it  trended 
south  as  far  as  Tung-kuan.  Here,  turning  with  it  due  east,  they  estab- 
lished small  colonies  on  the  fertile  plains  of  the  modern  province  of 
Shan-si. 

But  though  these  immigrants  were  for  the  moment  wanderers  they 
soon  acquired  the  habits  of  settled  labor,  and  it  is  absolutely  evident 
from  the  earliest  records  that  they  possess  that  they  gave  their  atten- 
ifcion  to  agricultural  pursuits.    They  cultivated  grain  for  their  sustenance, 

S7 


38  IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

and  flax,  which  they  wove  into  garments.  They  knew  the  value  of  silk 
worms,  and  planted  the  mulberry  tree;  they  developed  trade,  and  estab- 
lished fairs  at  certain  centres  in  their  districts.  Neither  were  they 
destitute  of  the  elements  of  intellectual  culture.  They  had  some  knowl- 
edge of  astronomy,  and  in  all  probability  they  brought  with  them  an 
acquaintanceship  with  hieroglyphic  writing.  At  all  events,  at  a  very 
early  period,  we  have  an  account  of  E  Yin  (1743-1710  B.  C),  presenting 
a  petition  in  writing  to  the  king. 

The  possession  of  these  habits  and  acquirements  gave  the  immi- 
grants a  great  advantage  over  the  people  of  the  land.  As  they  ad- 
vanced they  found  the  country-  inhabited  by  "fiery  dogs"  on  the  north, 
"great  bowmen"  in  the  east,  "the  ungovernable  vermin"  on  the  south, 
and  the  "mounted  warriors"  on  the  west.  Differing  in  language,  as 
also  in  every  other  respect  from  the  invaders,  these  tribes  became  their 
natural  enemies,  but  they  were  unable  to  stand  against  the  "black 
haired  race."  During  the  first  centuries  after  the  establishment  of  a 
regular  system  of  government,  we  hear  of  them  now  as  common  enemies 
of  the  Chinese,  and  now  as  temporary  allies  of  one  or  another  of  the 
states  into  which  the  growing  kingdom  was  divided. 

But  by  degrees  they  drop  out  of  the  history  of  the  empire.  Step  by 
step  they  were  driven  back  into  the  less  inhabited  parts;  whole  tribes 
wfere  transported,  others  were  annihilated,  until  but  a  small  remnant  was 
left.  These  wanderers  sought  and  found  refuge  from  their  enemies  in 
the  mountainous  regions  of  Kwei-chau  and  Kuang-si,  where  their  de- 
scendants, the  Meaou-tsze,  still  maintain  themselves  against  the  forces 
of  China. 

It  was  an  ancient  belief  of  Chinese  writers  that  there  had  existed 
a  period  of  2,267,000  years  between  the  time  when  the  powers  of  Heaven 
and  Earth  first  united  to  produce  man  as  the  possessor  of  the  soil  of 
China,  and  the  time  of  Confucius.  This  having  been  accepted  as  a  fact 
it  became  necessary  for  the  early  historians  to  invent  long  lines  of  dynas- 
tic rulers  to  fill  up  the  gap  between  the  creation  and  the  period  with 
which  the  "Book  of  Historical  Documents"  commences.  Accordingly, 
we  find  a  series  of  ten  epochs  described  as  preceding  the  Chow  dynasty. 
The  events  connected  with  most  of  these  are  purely  fictitious,  and  it 
is  not  until  we  come  down  to  the  eighth  period  that  we  can  trace  any 
glimmer,  however  obscure,  of  history. 

This  period,  we  are  told,  commenced  with  the  reign  of  Yew-chaou 


5^ 

b 

y 

^A 

Oi 

•A 

^ 

« 

0) 

M 

a 

* 

U 

Im 

o 

10 

w 

O' 

f/) 

B 

o 

M 

w 

u 

(J 

a> 

(U 

!* 

T) 

.^j 

m 

S3 

3 

3 

-§1: 


o  >.^ 


M    S 


Q 


s«  = 

'c.5 

S-.    CO   C3 

lit 

3—  - 
M~  r 

01  cu'H 
"^  ^  C3 
0)  en  bC 

—  0) 
OQ  CO 

ri  o  — 


oj  S 


•a  o  3 

oi  ft  o 


<D  3  'O 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY.  41 

She  (the  Nest-having),  who,  if  such  a  man  ever  existed,  was  probably 
one  of  the  first  of  those  who,  as  the  immigrants  increased  and  multiplied, 
was  chosen  to  direct  their  councils  and  to  lead  their  armies. 

Under  the  next  chief,  Suy-jin  She,  (the  Fire-producer),  the  grand 
discovery  of  fire  is  said  to  have  been  effected  by  the  accidental  friction 
of  two  pieces  of  dry  wood.  He  taught  the  people  to  look  up  to  Teen, 
the  great  creating,  preserving  and  destroying  power;  and  he  invented 
a  method  of  registering  time  and  events,  by  making  certain  knots  on 
thongs  or  cords  twisted  out  of  the  bark  of  trees.  Next  to  him  followed 
Yung-ching  She,  and  then  Fuh-he,  who  separated  the  people  into  classes 
or  tribes,  giving  to  each  a  particular  name.  Fuh-he  reigned  115  years, 
and  his  tomb  is  shown  at  Chin-chu,  in  the  province  of  Shen-si,  to  this 
day.  His  successor,  Chin-ming,  invented  the  plough;  and  from  that 
moment  the  civilization  of  China  proceeded  by  rapid  and  progressive 
steps. 

It  is  not  until  the  reign  of  Yaou  (2356  B.  C),  that  we  emerge  to  any 
extent  from  the  mist  Avhich  hangs  over  the  earlier  records  of  China. 
Here  Confucius  takes  up  the  strain,  and  though  his  narrative  will  not 
bear  criticism,  yet  it  furnishes  us  with  some  historical  data.  The  Em- 
peror Yaou  divided  his  kingdom  into  twelve  portions,  presided  over  by 
as  many  Pastors,  in  exact  imitation  of  the  duodenary  feudal  system  of 
Susa  with  their  twelve  Pastor  Princes. 

To  Yaou  succeeded  Shun,  who  carried  on  the  work  of  his  predecessor 
of  consolidating  the  Chinese  power  with  energy  and  success.  In  his 
reign  the  first  mention  is  made  of  religious  worship.  We  are  told 
that  he  "sacrificed  especially,  but  with  the  ordinary  forms,  to  Shang-te; 
sacrificed  with  purity  and  reverence  to  the  Six  Honored  Ones;  offered 
appropriate  sacrifices  to  the  hills  and  rivers,  and  extended  his  worship 
to  the  hosts  of  the  spirits." 

Much  controversy  has  arisen  as  to  the  interpretation  to  be  put  upon 
the  term  Shang-te.  By  some  he  is  regarded  as  having  held  the  position 
among  the  ancient  Chinese  that  Jehovah  had  among  the  Jews  of  old; 
and  certainly  many  of  his  attributes  are  the  same  as  those  belonging 
to  the  Jewish  God.  He  was  believed  to  exercise  a  minute  and  personal 
control  over  the  fortunes  of  the  Chinese.  It  was  by  his  favor  that  kings 
rose  to  power;  and  when  in  consequence  of  their  iniquities  he  withdrew 
his  oegis  from  them,  they  fell  to  make  room  for  others  better  than  they. 

Concerning  the  Six  Honored  Ones,  Chinese  writers  have  not  been 


42  IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

able  to  offer  any  explanation.    In  the  Siisian  texts,  however,  we  find 
that  next  in  rank  to  the  chief  deity  were  six  gods  of  an  inferior  grade. 

In  Shun's  reign  occurred  the  great  flood  which  inundated  most  of 
the  provinces  of  the  existing  empire.  The  waters,  we  are  told,  rose  to 
so  great  a  height  that  the  people  had  to  betake  themselves  to  the  moun- 
tains to  escape  death.  This  disaster  was  caused,  as  many  disasters  of 
a  similar  nature,  though  of  less  magnitude,  have  since  been  caused,  by 
the  Yellow  river  bursting  its  banks.  The  "Great  Yu"  was  appointed 
to  lead  the  waters  back  to  their  channel.  With  unremitting  energy  he 
set  about  his  task,  and  in  nine  years  succeeded  in  bringing  the  river 
under  control.  During  this  period  so  absorbed  was  he  in  his  work  that 
"he  took  heed  neither  of  food  nor  clothing,  and  thrice  he  passed  the 
door  of  his  house  without  once  stopping  to  enter."  At  the  completion 
of  his  labors  Yu  divided  the  empire  into  nine  instead  of  twelve  provinces; 
and  tradition  represents  him  as  having  engraved  a  record  of  his  toils 
on  a  stone  tablet  on  Mount  Heng,  in  tlie  province  of  Ilu-pih. 

As  a  reward  for  the  services  he  had  rendered  the  empire,  he  was 
invested  with  the  principality  of  Hea,  and  after  having  occupied  the 
throne  conjointly  with  Shun  for  some  years,  he  succeeded  that  sovereign 
on  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  year  2208  B.  C, 

With  Yu  began  the  dynasty  of  Hea,  which  gave  place  in  1766  B.  C. 
to  the  Shang  dynasty.  The  last  sovereign  of  the  Hea  line,  Kieh-kwei,  is 
said  to  have  been  a  monster  of  iniquity,  and  to  have  suffered  the  just 
punishm'ent  of  his  crimes  at  the  hands  of  T'ang,  the  prince  of  the  state 
of  Shang,  who  took  his  throne  from  him.  In  a  like  manner,  640  years 
later,  Wu  Wang,  the  prince  of  Chow,  overthrew  Chow  Sin,  the  last  of 
the  Shang  dynasty,  and  established  himself  as  chief  of  the  sovereign 
state  of  the  empire. 

By  empire  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  empire  as  it  exists  at 
present  is  meant.  The  China  of  the  Chow  dynasty  lay  between  the  33rd 
and  38th  parallels  of  latitude  and  the  lOOtli  and  llOtli  of  longitude  only, 
and  extended  over  no  more  than  portions  of  the  provinces  of  Pechili, 
Shan-si,  Shen-si,  Ho-nan,  Kiang-si,  and  Shan-tung.  This  territory  was 
re-arranged  by  Wu  Wang  into  the  nine  principalities  established  by 
Yu,  and  in  accordance  with  his  right  as  a  sovereign,  he  appointed  over 
each  a  member  of  his  own  family  or  following,  with  the  exception  of 
one,  the  state  of  Sung,  where  a  youthful  scion  of  the  Shang  dynasty 
was  allowed  to  occupy  the  throne. 


IN  TEE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY.  AZ 

Wu  is  held  up  in  Chinese  history  as  one  of  the  model  monarchs  of 
antiquity.  He  dwelt,  we  are  informed,  with  great  earnestness  on  the 
importance  of  having  the  people  taught  thoroughly  the  duties  of  the 
Ave  relations  of  society,  viz.,  those  of  (1)  ministers  to  their  sovereign; 
(2)  children  to  their  parents;  (3)  husband  to  wife;  (4)  brother  to  brother; 
(5)  and  friend  to  friend.  He  also  insisted  on  the  proper  observance 
of  funeral  ceremonies  and  sacrifices.  In  his  administration  of  the  affairs 
of  the  empire  he  was  ably  seconded  by  his  brother,  who  on  the  death 
of  Wu  divided  the  government  of  the  kingdom  with  the  imperial  suc- 
cessor, Ching  (B.  C.  1115). 

Under  the  next  ruler,  K'ang  (B.  C.  1078-1053),  the  empire  was  con- 
solidated, and  the  feudal  princes  one  and  all  acknowledged  their  alle- 
giance to  the  ruling  house  of  Chow.  But  under  succeeding  sovereigns, 
jealousies  and  strifes  broke  out  among  them,  and  their  loyalty  to  their 
liege  lord  fluctuated  with  the  power  he  exercised  over  them.  From  all 
accounts  there  sjoeedily  occurred  a  marked  degeneracy  in  the  charac- 
ters of  the  Chow  kings.  History  tells  us  little  about  them,  and  that  little 
does  not  redound  to  their  credit. 

Among  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  early  kings  was  Muh,  whose 
reign  extended  from  1001  to  947  B.  C.  He  rendered  himself  notorious 
by  promulgating  a  penal  code,  under  which  the  redemption  of  punish- 
ments was  made  permissible  by  the  payment  of  fines.  The  charge 
brought  against  him  by  historians  that  this  enactment  first  opened  the 
door  to  the  system  of  bribery  and  corruption  which  has  since  produced 
such  evils  in  China,  may  possibly  be  well  founded;  but,  however  this 
may  be,  it,  at  the  time,  only  added  one  more  source  of  evil  to  the  grow- 
ing disorder  of  the  state. 

Already  a  spirit  of  lawlessness  was  spreading  far  and  wide  among 
the  princes  and  nobles,  and  wars  and  rumors  of  wars  were  creating 
misery  and  unrest  throughout  the  land.  But,  notwithstanding  this,  the 
literary  instinct,  which  has  been  a  marked  characteristic  of  the  Chinese 
throughout  their  long  history,  continued  as  active  as  ever.  At  stated 
intervals  officials  were  sent  in  "light  carriages"  into  all  parts  of  the 
empire  to  collect  words  from  the  changing  dialects  of  each  district;  and 
at  the  time  of  the  royal  progresses  the  official  music  masters  and  his- 
toriographers of  each  principality  presented  to  the  officials  of  the  sov- 
ereign state,  appointed  for  the  purpose,  collections  of  the  odes  and  songs 
of  each  locality,  in  order,  we  are  told,  that  the  character  of  the  rule 


44  IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

exercised  by  their  several  princes  should  be  judged  by  the  tone  of  the 
-poetical  and  musical  productions  of  their  subjects. 

For  many  years  following  this  period  it  seemed  impossible  for  the 
rulers  of  the  country  to  keep  up  even  a  semblance  of  authority  as  regards 
the  subordinate  princes.  The  hand  of  every  man  was  against  his  neigh- 
bor, and  a  constant  state  of  internecine  war  succeeded  the  peace  and 
prosperity  which  had  so  long  favored  the  nation.  In  the  social  relations 
was  reflected  the  disorder  into  which  the  political  world  had  fallen. 
Filial  piety  had  almost  ceased  to  be,  respect  for  others'  rights  was  a 
thing  forgotten;  and  chiefs,  bent  on  the  prosecution  of  their  own  ambi- 
tious schemes,  trod  the  people  under  foot,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  take 
the  lives  and  property  of  their  subjects  in  pursuance  of  their  ends. 

"A  host  marches,"  says  Mencius,  in  writing  of  this  period,  "and  stores 
of  provisions  are  consumed.  The  hungry  are  deprived  of  their  food, 
and  there  is  no  rest  for  those  who  are  called  to  toil.  Maledictions  are 
uttered  by  one  to  another  with  eyes  askance,  and  the  people  proceed  to 
the  commission  of  wickedness.  Thenthe  royal  ordinances  are  violated 
and  the  people  are  oppressed,  and  the  supplies  of  food  and  drink  flow 
away  like  water.  The  rulers  yield  themselves  to  the  current;  or  they 
urge  their  way  against  it;  they  are  wild;  they  are  lost.  *  *  »  xhe 
crime  of  him  who  connives  at  and  aids  the  wickedness  of  his  ruler  is 
small,  but  the  crime  of  him  who  anticipates  and  excites  that  wickedness 
is  great.  The  great  officers  of  the  present  day  are  all  guilty,  of  this 
latter  crime,  and  I  say  that  they  are  sinners  against  the  princes.  ♦  ♦  * 
Sage  kings  do  not  arise,  and  the  princes  of  the  states  give  rein  to  their 
lusts.  *  *  *  In  their  stalls  there  are  fat  beasts,  and  in  their  stables 
there  are  fat  horses,  but  their  people  have  the  look  of  hunger,  and  in 
the  fields  there  are  those  who  have  died  of  famine.  This  is  leading  on 
beasts  to  devour  men." 

A  story,  illustrative  of  the  uncared  for  state  of  the  country  and  the 
oppression  under  which  the  people  groaned,  is  told  of  Confucius.  It 
chanced  that  on  one  occasion,  as  the  sage  was  journeying  from  the  state 
of  Loo  to  that  of  Ts'e,  he  saw  a  woman  weeping  by  a  tomb  at  the  road- 
side. Having  compassion  on  her,  he  sent  his  disciple,  Tsze-loo,  to  ask 
her  the  cause  of  her  grief.  "You  weep,"  said  Tsze-loo,  "as  if  you  had 
experienced  sorrow  upon  sorrow."  "I  have,"  said  the  woman;  "my 
father-in-law  was  killed  here  by  a  tiger,  and  my  husband  also ;  and  now^ 
my  son  has  met  the  same  fate."    "Why  do  you  not  remove  from  this 


tN  TEE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY,  45 

place?"  asked  Confucius.  "Because  here  there  is  no  oppressive  govern- 
ment," answered  the  woman.  Turning  to  his  disciples,  Confucius  re- 
marked :  "My  children,  remember  this,  oppressive  government  is  fiercer 
than  a  tiger." 

The  story  of  the  Chinese  nation  of  ancient  times  would  be  incom- 
plete without  a  brief  sketch  at  least  of  the  life  of  Confucius,  the  most 
famous  of  his  race,  a  man  whose  memory  is  cherished  by  a  third  of  the 
people  of  the  world,  and  the  stamp  of  whose  character  and  teachings 
is  still  impressed  on  the  institutions  of  his  country.  Confucius  was 
born,  according  to  the  historian,  Sze-ma  Ts'in,  in  the  year  550  B.  C; 
according  to  Kung-yang  and  Kuh-liang,  two  earlier  commentators  on 
his  "Annals  of  Lu,"  in  551;  but  all  three  agree  in  the  month  and  day 
assigned  to  his  birth,  which  took  place  in  the  winter.  His  clan  name 
was  K'ung,  and  Confucius  is  the  Latinized  form  of  K'ung  Fu-tze,  mean- 
ing the  philosopher  or  master  K'ung.  He  was  a  nati»'e  of  the  state  of 
Lu,  a  part  of  modern  Shan-tung,  embracing  the  present  department  of 
Yen-chow  and  other  portions  of  the  province. 

Lu  had  a  great  name  among  the  other  states  of  Chow,  its  marquises 
being  descended  from  the  duke  of  Chow,  the  legislator  and  consolidator 
of  the  dynasty  which  had  been  founded  by  his  father  and  brother,  the 
kings,  Wau  and  Woo.  Confucius'  own  ancestry  is  traced  up,  through 
the  sovereigns  of  the  previous  dynasty  of  Shang  to  Hwang-ti,  whose 
figure  looms  out  through  the  mists  of  fable  in  prehistoric  times.  There 
was  no  grander  lineage  in  China  than  that  of  Confucius;  and  on  all  his 
progenitors,  with  perhaps  one  exception,  he  could  look  back  with  pride. 

When  he  was  three  years  of  age  his  father  died,  leaving  his  family 
in  straitened  circumstances.  Long  afterwards,  when  Confucius  was 
complimented  on  his  acquaintance  with  many  arts,  he  accounted  for  it 
on  the  ground  of  the  poverty  of  his  youth,  which  obliged  him  to  acquire 
a  knowledge  of  matters  belonging  to  a  mean  condition.  He  tells  us 
himself  that  at  fifteen  his  mind  was  set  on  learning;  and  at  nineteen, 
according  to  the  ancient  and  modern  practice  in  China  in  regard  to  early 
unions,  he  was  married, — his  wife  being  from  his  ancestral  state  of  Sung. 
A  son,  the  only  one,  so  far  as  we  know,  was  born  in  the  following  year, 
but  he  had  subsequently  two  daughters. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage  we  find  him  employed  under  the 
chief  of  the  Ki  clan  to  whose  jurisdiction  the  district  of  Tsow  belonged, 
first  as  keeper  of  stores,  and  then  as  superintendent  of  parks  and  herds. 


46  IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

Mencius  says  that  he  undertook  such  mean  offices  because  of  his  poverty, 
and  distinguished  himself  by  the  efficiency  with  which  he  discharged 
them,  without  any  attempt  to  become  rich. 

In  his  twenty-second  year  Confucius  commenced  his  labors  as  a 
teacher.  He  did  so  at  first,  probabl}^,  in  a  humble  way;  but  a  school, 
not  of  boys  to  be  taught  the  elements  of  learning,  but  of  young  and 
inquiring  spirits  who  wished  to  be  instructed  in  the  principles  of  right 
conduct  and  government,  gradually  gathered  around  him.  He  accepted 
the  substantial  aid  of  his  disciples;  but  he  rejected  none  who  could  give 
him  even  the  smallest  fee,  and  he  would  retain  none  who  did  not  show 
earnestness  and  capacity.  "When  I  have  presented,"  he  said,  "one  cor- 
ner of  a  subject,  and  the  pupil  cannot  of  himself  make  out  the  other 
three,  I  do  not  repeat  my  lesson." 

For  some  years  our  information  concerning  Confucius  is  scanty. 
Hints,  indeed,  occur  of  his  devotion  to  the  study  of  music  and  of  ancient 
history;  and  we  can  perceive  that  his  character  was  more  and  more 
appreciated  by  the  great  minds  of  the  nation.  At  the  age  of  fifty-two 
he  was  made  chief  magistrate  of  the  city  of  Ching-too.  A  marvelous 
reformation,  we  are  told,  forthwith  ensued  in  the  manners  of  the  people, 
and  he  was  soon  called  to  higher  office.  He  was  finally  appointed 
minister  of  crime; — and  there  was  an  end  of  crime.  Two  of  his  disciples 
at  the  same  time  obtained  influential  positions  in  the  two  most  powerful 
clans  of  the  state,  and  co-operated  with  him.  He  signalized  his  vigor 
by  the  punishment  of  a  great  officer.  For  a  time  he  seemed  to  be  master 
of  the  situation.  "He  strengthened  the  ruler,"  it  is  said,  "and  repressed 
the  barons.  A  transforming  government  went  abroad.  Dishonesty 
and  dissoluteness  hid  their  heads.  Loyalty  and  good  faith  became  the 
characteristics  of  the  men,  and  chastity  and  docility  those  of  the  women. 
He  was  the  idol  of  the  people,  and  flew  in  song  through  their  mouths." 

But  the  sky  of  bright  promise  was  soon  overcast.  Rivals  for  public 
favor,  fearing  the  influence  he  exerted,  finally  succeeded  in  undermining 
him,  and  after  two  short  years  of  political  success  he  was  obliged  to 
resign  his  office.  For  thirteen  years  he  wandered  from  state  to  state, 
hoping,  but  ever  hoping  in  vain,  to  meet  with  some  prince  w^ho  would 
accept  him  as  his  counsellor,  and  initiate  a  government  that  should 
become  the  centre  of  a  universal  reformation.  Several  of  the  princes 
were  willing  to  entertain  and  support  him;  but  for  all  that  he  could 
say,  they  would  not  change  their  ways. 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY.  47 

His  professed  disciples  numbered  3,000,  and  among  them  were  sev- 
enty or  eighty  whom  he  described  as  "scholars  of  extraordinary  ability." 
The  most  attached  of  them  were  seldom  long  away  from  him.  Several 
of  them  were  men  of  mark  among  the  statesmen  of  the  time,  and  it  is 
the  highest  testimony  to  the  character  of  Confucius  that  he  inspired 
them  with  feelings  of  reverence  and  admiration.  It  was  they  who  set 
the  example  of  speaking  of  him  as  the  greatest  of  mortal  men;  it  was 
they  who  struck  the  first  notes  of  that  pean  which  has  gone  on  resound- 
ing to  the  present  day. 

When,  in  the  year  478  B.  C,  the  master  died,  his  disciples  buried 
him  with  great  pomp.  A  multitude  of  them  built  huts  near  his  grave, 
and  remained  there,  mourning  for  him  as  a  father,  for  nearly  three  years. 
The  news  of  his  death  went  through  the  states'as  with  an  electric  thrill. 
The  man  who  had  been  neglected  when  alive  seemed  to  have  become 
all  at  once  an  object  of  unbounded  admiration.  The  tide  began  to 
flow  which  has  never  ebbed  during  three-and-twenty  centuries. 

The  grave  of  Confucius  is  in  a  large  rectangle  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  K'ung  cemetery,  outside  the  city  of  Kin-fau.  A  magnificent 
gate  gives  admission  to  a  fine  avenue,  lined  with  cypress  trees  and 
conducting  to  a  tomb,  a  large  and  lofty  mound,  with  a  marble  statue 
in  front  bearing  the  inscription  of  the  title  given  to  Confucius  under 
the  Sung  dynasty: — "The  most  sagely  ancient  Teacher;  the  all-accom- 
plished, all-informed  King." 

The  adjoining  city  is  still  the  home  of  the  K'ung  family;  and  there 
are  said  to  be  between  40,000  and  50,000  of  the  descendants  of  the  sage. 
The  present  chief  of  the  family  is  in  the  line  of  the  76th  generation, 
and  has  large  estates  by  imperial  gift,  with  the  title  of  "Duke  by  imperial 
appointment  and  hereditary  right,  continuator  of  the  sage."  It  is  thus 
no  empty  honor  which  is  still  given  by  the  sovereigns  of  China  to  Con- 
fucius, in  the  persons  of  his  descendants. 

Signs  now  began  to  appear  in  China  foreshadowing  the  fall  of  the 
Chow  dynasty.  During  the  reign  of  Wei-lee  W^ang,  the  brazen  vessels 
upon  which  Yu  had  engraved  the  different  provinces  of  the  empire  were 
observed  to  shake  violently,  and  shortly  afterwards  a  mountain  fell 
across  the  stream  of  the  Yellow  river  causing  a  wide-spread  inundation. 
As  the  empire  became  weakened  by  internal  dissensions  so  much  the 
more  did  the  power  of  the  neighboring  states  increase.  Of  these  the 
most  important  was  that  of  Thsin,  on  the  northwest,  which,  when  it 


48  IN  THE  DAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

became  evident  that  the  kingdom  of  Chow  must  fall  to  pieces,  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  wars  undertaken  by  Tsoo  on  the  south  and  Tsin 
on  the  north  for  the  coveted  prize.  But  the  struggle  was  an  unequal 
one.  The  superiority  of  Thsin  in  point  of  size,  and  in  the  number  of 
fighting  men  at  its  command,  carried  all  before  it,  and  in  255  B.  C. 
Chaou-seang  Wang,  having  silenced  his  rivals,  possessed  himself  of  the 
imperial  states. 

Thus  fell  the  Chow  dynasty,  during  the  existence  of  Avhich  the  em- 
pire was  extended  from  the  33rd  to  the  38th  parallel  of  latitude  and 
from  the  106th  to  the  119tli  degree  of  longitude,  that  is  to  say,  it 
included  the  southern  portions  of  the  province  of  Chih-li,  Shan-si  and 
Shen-si,  the  northern  portions  of  Ho-nan  and  Kiang-su,  and  the  western 
half  of  Shan-tung.  The  capital  was  fixed  at  Chang- gan  Ilien  in  Slien-se. 
But  though  virtually  emperor,  Chaou-seang  Wang  abstained  from  adopt- 
ing the  imperial  title,  and  he  died  in  251  B.  C,  leaving  his  son,  Heaou- 
wan  Wang  to  succeed  him. 

Scarcely  was  this  sovereign  seated  on  the  throne  when  he  was  at- 
tacked witli  a  fatal  illness,  and  after  a  reign  of  but  three  days  he 
became  a  "guest  in  heaven,"  and  Chang-seang  Wang,  his  son,  reigned 
in  his  stead.  The  only  title  to  fame  possessed  by  this  monarch  was 
that  he  was  the  father  of  one  of  the  greatest  rulers  China  has  ever  had. 
As  he  was  himself  a  man  of  no  mark,  it  was  probably  fortunate  for 
the  country  that  he  occupied  the  throne  for  only  three  years,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  (246  B.  C),  he  yielded  up  his  earthly  honors  to  Che 
Huang-te,  "the  first  universal  emperor." 

This  sovereign  was  but  thirteen  years  of  age  w^hen  he  ascended  the 
throne,  but  young  as  he  was  he  speedily  everywhere  made  his  influence 
felt.  He  chose  Hien-Yang,  the  modern  Se-gan  Fu,  as  his  capital,  and 
built  there  a  magnificent  palace,  which  was  the  wonder  and  admiration 
of  his  contemporaries.  He  constructed  roads  through  the  empire,  he 
formed  canals  and  erected  numerous  handsome  public  buildings.  Hav- 
ing by  these  and  other  means  settled  the  internal  affairs  of  the  kingdom, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  enemies  beyond  his  frontier. 

Chief  among  these  were  the  Heung-nu  Tartars,  whose  attacks  had 
for  years  kept  the  Chinese  and  neighboring  principalities  in  a  state  of 
disquiet.  Against  these  foes  he  marched  with  an  army  of  300,000  men 
and  completely  routed  them,  exterminating  those  in  the  neighborhood 
of  China,  and  driving  the  rest  into  the  mountains  of  Mongolia,    He  had 


h  m 
•*  X 


wo 
•a  -w 

I*  o 

a 

X3  DO 


^a 

J3  CS 
«>« 

r;   (1) 
H 

IS  <u 

CU   * 

<u 
to  ^ 

ft    -35 

«    .29 

O 


O    Si 


^S 


O  C3 


^■« 


» 


M    a- 
■X    2 


■/; 


;i    0)  S  0) 

M 

'A 
■n 
W 
Yi 


tn  «t 


IN  THB  DAWN  OF  HISTORY.  53 

no  sooner  returned  from  this  campaign  tlian  he  was  called  upon  to 
face  a  formidable  rebellion  in  Ho-nan,  which  had  been  set  on  foot  by 
the  adherents  of  the  feudal  princes,  all  of  whom  he  had  dispossessed 
when  he  reconstructed  the  empire  on  the  monarchical  principle. 

Against  these  rebels  he  was  as  successful  as  he  had  been  against 
the  Heung-nu,  and  as  soon  as  peace  was  restored  he  marched  south- 
wards to  subdue  the  tribes  on  the  south  of  the  Nan-shan  ranges,  that 
is  to  say,  the  inhabitants  of  the  modern  provinces  of  Fu-kien,  Kuang- 
tung  and  Kuang-si.  Having  accomplished  this  vast  undertaking,  he 
returned  to  his  capital  to  administer  the  empire  he  had  won,  the  limits 
of  which  were  virtually  those  of  the  China  of  to-day. 

One  monument  remains  to  the  present  time  to  bear  witness  to  the 
enterprising  energy  of  Che  Huang-te.  Finding  that  the  northern  states 
of  Thsin,  Chaou  and  Yen  were  building  lines  of  fortifications  along 
their  northern  frontier  for  protection  against  the  incursions  of  the 
Heung-nu,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  constructing  one  gigantic  wall, 
which  was  to  stretch  across  the  whole  northern  limit  of  the  huge  empire, 
from  the  sea  to  the  furthest  western  corner  of  the  modern  province  of 
Kan-su.  This  work  was  begun  under  his  immediate  supervision  in  214 
B.  C,  and  was  completed  after  ten  years  of  constant  labor  at  the  hands 
of  an  army  of  workmen. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  Che  Huang-te  accomplished  for  his  coun- 
try, he  was  very  unpopular  with  the  aristocracy.  He  was  a  reformer, 
and  reformers  were  as  distasteful  to  Chinamen  of  that  time  as  to  those 
of  to-day,  and  schoolmen  and  pedants  were  forever  holding  up  to  the 
admiration  of  the  people  the  heroes  of  the  feudal  times  and  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  system  they  administered.  This  doctrine  was  full  of 
danger  to  the  state,  and  Che  Huang-te  therefore  determined  to  break 
once  and  for  all  with  the  past.  To  this  end  he  ordered  the  whole  exist- 
ing literature,  with  the  exception  of  books  on  medicine,  agriculture  and 
divination  should  be  destroyed.  This  decree  was  almost  universally  car- 
ried out,  and  many  scholars  were  put  to  death  for  failing  in  obedience 
to  it.  The  measure,  however,  widened  the  breach  between  the  emperor 
and  the  upper  classes,  and  when,  on  his  death,  in  210  B.  C,  his  son, 
Urh-she  Huang-te  ascended  the  throne,  the  widespread  discontent  broke 
out  in  tumults. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  confusion  which  thus  arose,  the  princes 
who  had  been  dispossessed  by  Che  Huang-te  again  attempted  to  regain 


54  IN  THE  BAWN  OF  HISTORY. 

the  thrones  they  had  lost.  Unlike  his  father,  Urh-she  Huang-te  was 
quite  unable  to  grapple  with  troublous  times.  He  was  a  weak  and 
debauched  youth,  and  was  murdered  after  having  offered  a  feeble  re- 
sistance to  his  enemies.  His  son  thereupon  surrendered  himself  to  Lew 
Pang,  one  of  the  two  generals  who  at  the  time  were  leaders  of  the 
rebellion.  Unfortunately,  however,  he  afterwards  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Heang  Yu,  the  other  chieftain,  who  was  as  bloodthirsty  as  Lew  Pang 
was  merciful,  and  who  instantly  put  him  to  death  along  with  all  his 
family  and  associates. 

The  rivalry  between  these  two  chieftains  broke  out  into  open  war- 
fare almost  immediately  after  this  event,  on  Heang  Yu  usurping  to 
himself  imperial  honors.  For  five  years  war  raged  between  the  two 
combatants,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  Lew  Pang  was  left  master  of 
the  field  after  a  decisive  battle  before  Wu-kiang,  in  which  Heang  Yu 
was  slain.  Lew  Pang  was  then  proclaimed  emperor  (206  B.  C.)  under 
the  title  of  Kaou-te,  and  the  new  line  was  styled  the  Han  dynasty. 

From  that  day  to  the  present  time,  with  occasional  interregnums, 
the  empire  has  been  ruled  on  the  lines  laid  down  by  Che  Huang-te. 
Dynasty  has  succeeded  dynasty,  but  the  political  tradition  has  remained 
unchanged,  and  though  Mongols  and  Manchus  have  at  different  times 
wrested  the  throne  from  its  legitimate  heirs,  they  have  been  engulfed 
in  the  homogeneous  mass  inhabiting  the  empire,  and  instead  of  im- 
pressing their  seal  on  the  country  have  become  but  the  reflection  of  the 
vanquished. 

The  nine  centuries  covered  by  the  history  of  the  Chows  were  full 
of  stirring  incidents  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  The  Trojan  war  had 
just  been  brought  to  an  end,  and  ^5Dneas  had  taken  refuge  in  Italy  from 
the  sack  of  Troy.  Early  in  the  dynasty,  Zoroaster  was  founding  in 
Persia  the  religion  of  the  Magi,  the  worship  of  fire,  which  survives  in 
the  Parseeism  of  Bombay.  Saul  was  made  king  of  Israel,  and  Solomon 
built  the  temple  of  Jerusalem.  Later  on,  Lycurgus  gave  laws  to  the 
Spartans,  and  Romulus  laid  the  first  stone  of  the  eternal  city.  Then 
came  the  Babylonish  captivity,  the  appearance  of  Buddha,  the  conquest 
of  Asia  Minor  by  Cyrus,  the  rise  of  the  Roman  republic,  the  defeats  of 
Darius  at  Marathon  and  of  Xerxes  at  Salamis,  the  Peloponnesian  war, 
the  retreat  of  the  Ten  Thousand,  and  Roman  conquests  down  to  the 
first  Punic  war. 


CHAPTER  111. 
THE  GROWTH  OF  A  GREAT  EMPIRE. 

Constant  Wars  with  Neighboring  Tribes— A  New  Penal  Code  Issued— Reyiyal  of  Learning 
— The  Origin  of  "Punch  and  Judy"— The  Emperor  Theodosius  Sends  Embassadors — 
Division  of  the  Empire — Arrival  of  the  Nestorian  Missionaries— Aid  Against  Enemies 
Asked  from  the  Tartars — Death  of  the  Great  General,  Ghengiz  Kahn— An  Army  Nearly 
a  Million  Strong— Founding  of  the  Ming  Dynasty— War  with  Japan— Fall  of  the 
Ming  Dynasty. 

FOR  four  hundred  years  following  the  accession  of  Lew  Pang  to 
the  throne  the  stately  house  of  Han  ruled  over  China.  This 
period  was  accidentally  divided  into  two  equal  portions  by  the 
Christian  era  and  by  a  temporary  usurpation  of  the  throne, 
which  for  some  time  threatened  the  stability  of  the  dynasty  in  the 
direct  line  of  succession.  During  the  whole  period,  the  empire,  if  not 
enjoying  uninterrupted  tranquillity  either  at  home  or  abroad,  was  never- 
theless making  vast  strides  towards  a  more  settled  state  of  prosperity 
and  civilization.  There  were,  however,  constant  wars  with  the  Tartar 
tribes  of  the  north,  against  which  the  great  wall  proved  to  be  a  wholly 
ineffectual  barrier.  Also,  with  the  various  Turkic  tribes  on  the  west; 
especially  with  the  Huns,  who  once  succeeded  in  shutting  up  the  founder 
of  the  dynasty  in  one  of  his  own  cities,  from  which  he  only  escaped  by 
a  stratagem,  to  be  mentioned  in  another  connection. 

Later  on,  an  attempt  was  made  to  win  over  a  Hun  chieftain,  who 
happened  to  be  visiting  the  court,  by  bestowing  on  him  a  distinguished 
Chinese  lady  to  share  with  him  the  honor  and  dignity  of  his  Khanate; 
and  even  now  traces  of  Hunnish  influence  are  discernible  in  several 
of  the  recognized  surnames  of  the  Chinese.  The  wild  tribes  of  modern 
Yunnan  were  reduced  to  subjection,  and  their  territory  may  be  consid- 
ered as  addefl  to  the  empire  from  this  date. 

At  home  the  eunuchs  gave  an  immense  deal  of  trouble  by  their  rest- 
less spirit  of  intrigue;  besides  which  for  nearly  twenty  years  the  im- 
perial power  was  in  the  hands  of  a  famous  usurper,  named  Wang  Mang, 
who  had  secured  it  by  the  usual  means  of  treachery  and  poison,  to  lose  it 
on  the  battlefield,  and  himself  to  perish  shortly  afterwards  in  a  revolt 
of  his  own  soldiery. 

65 


56  TUB  GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

The  founder  of  the  Hans,  on  his  entrv^  into  the  capital  of  the  fallen 
Ch'ins,  at  once  issued  a  proclamation  embodying  what  have  since  been 
known  as  the  "Three  Laws,"  the  object  in  view  being  to  attach  the 
people  to  his  cause  by  an  abandonment  of  the  more  barbarous  legal 
penalties  in  force  at  that  date.  By  these  laws  murder  was  still  to  be 
punished  with  death,  but  wounding  and  robbery  only  in  proportion  to 
the  act  committed.  His  next  care  was  to  entrust  an  able  and  faithful 
adherent,  named  Hsiao  Ho,  with  the  construction  of  a  penal  code,  which 
was  ultimately  published,  and  contained  no  fewer  than  359  statute  laws, 
upon  one  of  which,  namely,  capital  punishment,  we  read  that  there 
were  409  additional  clauses,  and  13,472  quoted  precedents.  It  was 
upon  the  model  thus  made  available  that  later  dynasties  framed  their 
various  codes,  each  with  such  modifications  as  altered  circumstances 
might  dictate. 

It  was  under  the  Han  dynasty  that  the  religion  of  Shakyamuni 
Buddha  first  became  known  to  the  Chinese  people.  We  are  told  that 
"the  E'mperor  Ming  had  a  vision  of  a  golden  being  over  ten  feet  in 
height,  around  whose  head  was  playing  a  golden  light.  On  asking  his 
assembled  ministers  about  this  dream,  one  of  them  said  that  in  the 
west  there  was  a  god,  named  Fo,  sixteen  feet  high,  and  of  the  color  of 
gold.  So  the  emperor  sent  off  envoj^s  to  India  to  inquire  about  the 
religion  of  Fo,  and  these  brought  back  the  images  and  portraits  we 
now  possess."  Another  passage  runs:  "The  books  of  their  priests  con- 
sist chiefly  of  the  glorification  of  hollowness  and  abstraction,  with  them 
compassion  is  one  of  the  highest  virtues.  They  do  not  take  life.  They 
believe  that  the  vitality  of  man  does  not  perish  with  the  body  at  death, 
but  is  again  endued  with  mortal  shape.  They  expect  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments according  to  their  good  or  evil  acts  in  a  previous  life,  and  are 
therefore  very  particular  about  cultivating  rectitude  of  heart,  in  order 
to  become  Buddhas  hereafter." 

It  was  also  during  this  period  that  the  Jews  appear  to  have  founded 
a  colony  in  Ho-nan,  but  it  is  not  known  what  kind  of  a  reception  was 
accorded  to  the  new  faith.  In  the  glow  of  early  Buddhism,  and  in  the 
exacting  times  of  its  subsequent  persecution,  it  is  probable  that  Judaism 
failed  to  attract  much  serious  attention  from  the  Chinese.  A  synagogue 
was  built  at  K'ai-fung  Fu  in  1164,  and  the  Catholic  priest  Kicci  visited 
the  colony  in  the  sixteenth  century.  In  1850,  certain  Hebrew  rolls  were 
recovered  from  the  few  remaining  descendants  of  former  Jews;  but 


THE  GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  67 

there  was  then  no  one  left  who  could  read  a  word  of  them,  or  who 
possessed  any  knowledge  of  the  creed  of  their  forefathers  beyond  a  few 
traditions  of  the  scantiest  possible  kind. 

But  the  most  remarkable  of  all  events  connected  with  this  period 
was  the  general  revival  of  learning  and  authorship.  The  Confucian 
texts  were  rescued  from  hiding  places  in  which  they  had  been  concealed 
at  the  risk  of  death;  editing  committees  were  appointed,  and  immense 
efforts  made  to  repair  the  mischief  sustained  by  literature  at  the  hands 
of  the  "First  Emperor."  The  schoolmen  of  the  day  expounded  the 
records  and  teachings  of  the  great  sage  according  to  their  lights;  and 
although  the  practical  outcome  of  their  labors  was  later  on  scattered 
to  the  wind  by  the  genius  of  one  man,  the  bulky  commentaries  they 
put  together  still  survive,  to  be  perused  by  the  curious  and  accepted 
by  the  few. 

Ink  was  invented  under  the  Hans,  to  replace  such  mixtures  as  brick 
dust  and  water,  with  which  characters  had  already  been  traced  on 
silk;  and  paper,  made  from  the  bark  of  trees  and  from  hemp,  followed 
shortly  after. 

The  "Father  of  Chinese  History"  flourished  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  second  century  B.  C.  His  great  work,  which  has  been  the  model 
for  all  subsequent  histories,  is  divided  into  130  books,  and  deals  with 
a  period  extending  from  the  reign  of  the  Yellow  emperor,  (B.  C.  2697), 
down  to  his  own  times.  This  narrative  was  taken  up  by  Pan  Ku  a 
century  and  a  half  later,  and  completed  after  his  death  by  a  gifted 
sister,  who  brought  the  work  down  to  Wang  Mang's  usurpation  of  the 
throne. 

Many  other  voluminous  works  and  celebrated  writers  of  the  Han 
dynasty  could  here  be  mentioned  at  the  risk  of  tiring  the  reader  with 
an  overburdened  page.  But  these  we  pass  over  to  conclude  with  the 
honored  name  of  one  man  who  gained  for  himself,  by  his  virtue  and 
integrity,  a  more  imperishable  fame  than  any  mere  literary  achievement 
could  bestow.  Yang  Chen  was  indeed  a  scholar  of  no  mean  attainments, 
and  away  in  his  occidental  home  he  was  known  as  the  "Confucius  of 
the  West."  An  officer  of  the  government  in  a  high  position,  with  every 
means  of  obtaining  wealth  at  his  command,  he  lived  and  died  in  com- 
parative poverty,  his  only  ambition  being  to  have  the  reputation  of  a 
"spotless  official."  The  Yangs  of  his  day  grumbled  sorely  at  oppor- 
tunities thus  thrown  away;  but  the  Yangs  of  to-day  glory  in  the  fame  of 


58  TEE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

their  great  ancestor,  and  are  proud  to  worship  in  the  ancestral  hall  to 
which  his  uprightness  has  bequeathed  a  name.  For  once,  when  pressed 
to  receive  a  bribe,  with  the  additional  inducement  that  no  one  would 
know  of  the  transaction,  he  quietly  replied:  "How  so?  Heaven  would 
know;  earth  would  know;  you  would  know;  and  I  should  know."  And 
to  the  present  day  the  ancestral  shrine  of  the  Yangs  bears  as  its  name 
"The  Hall  of  the  Four  Knows." 

It  was,  in  all  probability,  under  the  dynasty  of  the  Hans  that  the 
drama  first  took  its  place  among  the  amusements  of  the  people,  though 
some  defer  its  appearance  until  eight  or  nine  centuries  later,  and  at- 
tribute its  origin  to  a  dream  of  one  of  the  emperors  of  the  T'angs,  in 
which  he  fancied  himself  on  a  visit  to  the  moon. 

It  is  recorded  that  when  the  founder  of  the  Hans  was  besieged,  as 
we  have  already  stated,  by  an  armj^  of  Huns,  his  majesty,  acting  under 
the  advice  of  a  crafty  minister,  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Hun  chieftain 
and  offered  him  the  present  of  a  very  beautiful  girl  on  condition  of 
being  allowed  to  pass  unharmed  through  the  lines.  The  Hun  chieftain, 
suspicious  of  treachery,  repaired  by  agreement  to  the  foot  of  the  city 
wall,  and  there  beheld  a  charming  lady  moving  about  among  a  circle  of 
attendants  almost  as  lovely  as  herself.  His  suspicions  being  thus 
allayed,  he  gave  orders  to  open  a  passage  to  the  emperor  and  his  suite, 
who  promptly  made  the  best  of  their  way  out.  At  the  same  time  the 
Hun  chieftain  entered  the  city  and  proceeded  to  the  spot  on  the  wall 
where  the  young  lady  was  waiting  for  him,  still  surrounded  by  her 
bevy  of  handmaids.  But  on  arriving  there,  he  found,  to  his  infinite 
chagrin,  that  the  beauty  and  her  attendants  were  simply  a  set  of  wooden 
puppets  which  had  been  dressed  up  for  the  occasion,  and  were  worked 
by  a  concealed  arrangement  of  springs.  Overcome  with  rage  and  morti- 
fication, he  instantly  started  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  emperor,  who  suc- 
ceeded, however,  in  making  good  his  escape. 

From  that  day  Punch  and  Judy  shows  are  said  to  have  come  into 
existence,  if  indeed  the  term  "Punch  and  Judy"  be  not  somewhat  of  a 
misnomer.  For  the  marionettes  of  China  are  unconnected  in  any  way 
with  the  loves  and  hatred  of  Mr.  Punch,  whose  fame  has  traveled  from 
England  to  our  own  land.  The  former  exhibit  to  Chinese  crowds  of  men, 
women  and  children,  stirring  episodes  taken  from  the  history  of  ancient 
China,  relieved  by  occasional  farces  of  rather  questionable  taste.  Em- 
perors, generals,  crafty  mandarins,  and  beautiful  women  (from  the 


TEE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  59 

native  point  of  view),  strut  backwards  and  forwards  across  the  mimic 
stage,  and  teach  their  lessons  of  worldly  wisdom  in  the  local  dialect 
of  the  audience.  No  money  is  collected  on  the  spot,  the  proprietors  of 
the  show  being  paid  out  of  the  theatrical  fund  of  the  street  or  village, 
sometimes  by  a  well  to  do  citizen,  to  give  their  entertainment  free  to 
all  comers. 

Literary  degrees  were  first  conferred  early  in  this  dynasty;  and  the 
existing  calendar  was  corrected  to  accord  with  the  calculations  of  Sou- 
ma  Ch'ien,  one  of  the  leading  scientists  of  the  time.  Perpetual  heredi- 
tary rank  was  conferred  upon  the  senior  descendant  of  Confucius  in 
the  male  line,  and  the  succession,  as  previously  related,  has  continued 
unbroken  to  the  present  day.  Later  on,  the  written  language  of  China 
and  the  teachings  of  Confucius  were  carried  over  to  Japan,  to  be  there 
received  with  unmixed  veneration  for  many  centuries,  and  to  shape 
the  educational  curriculum  of  the  people  and  the  national  bent  of 
thought,  until  finally  destined  to  pale  before  the  flood  of  a  brighter 
light. 

During  the  above  period,  Greece  had  fallen  from  her  high  estate 
and  had  become  a  Koman  province.  Her  literary  activity  seemed  to 
be  extinguished  simultaneously  with  the  loss  of  her  prestige  and  polit- 
ical supremacy;  and  the  tide  of  production,  which  in  a  little  more  than 
a  hundred  years  had  made  Greek  literature  what  it  is,  was  stopped 
forever.  Hannibal  had  been  finally  vanquished;  Christ  had  been 
crucified;  Julius  Caesar  had  visited  Britain;  Augustus  had  been  sa- 
luted Emperor;  and  St.  Paul  had  been  brought  in  chains  to  Rome. 

In  173  A.  D.,  a  virulent  pestilence  broke  out  which  held  possession 
of  the  country  for  eleven  years.  A  magical  cure  for  this  plague  was 
said  to  have  been  discovered  by  a  Taouist  priest  na,med  Chang  Keo, 
who  made  so  good  a  use  of  his  discovery  that  in  a  single  month  he  had 
.gained  a  sufficiently  large  following  to  enable  him  to  take  possession 
of  the  northern  provinces  of  the  empire.  lie  was,  however,  opposed 
and  defeated  by  Tsaou  Tsaou,  another  aspirant  to  imperial  honors, 
whose  son,  Tsaou  Pei,  on  the  death  of  Heen-te  (220  A.  D.),  proclaimed 
himself  emperor,  adopting  the  title  of  Wei  as  the  appellation  of  his 
dynasty.  But  at  the  same  time  there  were  two  other  Richmonds  in  the 
field.  Lew  Pei  and  Sun  Keuen,  and  the  strength  of  these  three  adventur- 
ers were  so  nearly  equal  that  they  agreed  to  divide  the  empire  between 
them.    Tsaou  Pei,  under  the  title  of  Wan-te,  ruled  over  the  kingdom  of 


60  TUE  GROWTH  OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

Wei,  which  occupied  the  whole  of  the  central  and  northern  portion  of 
China.  Lew  Pei  established  the  Shuh  Han  dynasty  in  the  modern 
province  of  Sze-chuan,  and  called  himself  Chaou-lee-te;  and  to  Sun 
Keuen  Khan  fell  the  southern  provinces  of  the  empire,  from  the  Yang- 
tsze  Kiang  southwards,  including  the  modern  Tonkin,  which  he  formed 
into  the  kingdom  of  Wu  with  Nan-king  for  his  capital,  and  adopted 
for  himself  the  imperial  style  of  Ta-te. 

But  China  during  the  period  of  the  "Three  Kingdoms"  was  a  house 
divided  against  itself.  Rivalries,  the  seeds  of  which  had  been  sown  at 
the  time  of  the  partition  of  territory,  broke  out  more  fiercely  as  soon 
as  the  courts  were  established.  Lew  Pei,  as  a  descendant  of  the  house 
of  Han,  looked  upon  himself  as  the  rightful  sovereign  of  the  whole 
empire,  and  he  dispatched  an  army  under  the  command  of  the  cele- 
brated general  Choo-ko  Leang  to  support  his  claims.  This  army  was 
met  by  an  opposing  force  under  the  Wei  commander  Sze-ma  E,  of  whom 
Chinese  historians  say  that  "he  led  armies  like  a  god,"  and  who,  by 
adopting  a  Fabian  policy,  completely  discomfited  his  adversary. 

But  the  close  of  this  campaign  brought  no  peace  to  the  country. 
Wars  became  chronic,  and  by  degrees  the  reins  of  power  slipped  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  emperors  into  those  of  their  generals.  Foremost 
among  these  were  the  members  of  the  Sze-ma  family  of  Wei.  Sze-ma 
E  left  a  son,  Sze-ma  Chaou,  scarcely  less  distinguished  than  he  was 
himself,  and  when  Sze-ma  Chaou  was  gathered  to  his  fathers  his  hon- 
ors descended  to  Sze-ma  Yen,  who,  finding  the  country  ripe  for  a 
change,  deposed  the  ruling  sovereign  of  Wei,  and  proclaimed  himself 
emperor  of  China^  in  165  A.  D.  His  dynasty  he  styled  the  Western 
Tsin  dynasty,  and  he  adopted  for  himself  the  title  of  Woo-te.  The  most 
noticeable  event  in  this  reign  was  the  advent  of  the  aonbassadors  of 
the  Emperor  Theodosius  in  284. 

For  some  years  the  neighboring  states  appear  to  have  transferred- 
their  allegiance  from  the  house  of  Wei  to  that  of  Tsin.  But  the  condi- 
tion of  Cliina  at  this  time  was  such  that  no  government  could  stand 
unless  administered  by  an  able  and  a  powerful  chief.  Woo-te's  suc- 
cessors failing  to  fulfill  these  conditions,  the  country  soon  fell  again 
into  disorder.  The  Heng-noo,  encouraged  by  the  decadence  of  the 
Chinese  power,  renewed  incursions  into  the  empire  at  the  beginning  of 
the  fourth  century,  and  in  the  confusion  which  followed  these  attacks 
from  without  as  well  as  those  that  were  distracting  the  country  from 


10 

clc 

c 

O  ?*  to 

,_H 

a  "-s 

M 

a  j3  a 

O 

3 

C 

QJ^^ 

3  5tf  -^ 

c8 

t^  '?t 

O. 

0) 

O           <u 

^ 

t3 

aS2S 

C3 

3  <u  Ox) 

O  t.  t- 

2  «*>. 

.2  g^ 

e 

d  fo  (jj_. 

o 

m          "O 

a 

o 

e  be 
are 
the 

lisbe 

0) 

hav 
they 
,  in 
ingi 

<u 

o-ti 

c 

they 
,  and 
se  twi 
as  dlE 

5 

^  Oj   OJ     ^ 

o 

•3.25S 

a 

0 

C3   MlO_ 

u      — . 

•>-'  cj  w  cs 

"0 

o 

o 

.<"  0)  I.  w 

a 

0)       >-'a  _ 

(U 

2 

ca 

to    m   t<   O 

tn 

^5  o  =>  * 

y. 

_o 

S 

0) 

?5 
0 

J3 

OSltK 

has 
next 
the 
chil 

if 

■•-' 

ft              (U-O 

r^ 

CD 

o  c  o  fl 

W 

CO 

sx:  ojS  nj 

0) 

eir  ow 
eft.     S 
3  worn 
t.     No 
1  man 

r>3 

osi-^  Z.  <a  '^. 

+J        ■?■  (i)J3 

OJ  *J»S*- 

o 

^5a<«„* 

"  <u  s^'-.  a 

3 
t- 

■  o 
ft 

tent  w 
e   extr 
ild.     T 
re  sma 
g  bebii 

°i-^il 

CS 

£^IS5 

ea 

3l  mo 
nding 
of    t 
le  rig 
lan    s 

S^-E^' 


M  a) 


2^  MSB  CXI 
O  S  <i>  ffl  5  ^ 

■O       ■"  0)  CO 

CO  ts  .i;  '^  CD  a 

>  OJ  o  o  I  o 

o  o-*' 


?  -a  M  'E  .a  o 
^©g  >?^3 

C         TO   cd 

>-  r-  td  <u  CO  ja 

y  to  q      - 


O  (P 


o  o 

■^^ 

n 

22 

to  O 


."S  o 


52 


M  to 

a  « 


5  «- 


0;  CC 


J32 

.13  (U 

CO  O 


<u  — 

MO 

o  c^ 


WW   - 

0)  ^ 

m 
tfl  (11 

o.^ 

o   . 
■"  «i 

^1 
o.a 

1-2 

<u  a> 

a>  V 
XS  m 

^  C8 


TEE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  68 

within,  an  adventurer  named  Lew  Yuen  established  himself  in  311  A. 
D.  as  emperor,  first  at  Ping-yang  in  Shan-se  and  afterwards  in  Lo-yang 
and  Chang-gan.  The  history  of  this  period  is  very  chaotic.  Numerous 
states  sprang  into  existence,  some  founded  by  the  Heung-noo,  and  oth- 
ers by  the  Seen-pe  tribe,  a  Tungusic  clan  inhabiting  a  territory  to  the 
north  of  China,  and  who  afterwards  established  the  Leaou  dynasty 
in  China. 

The  hand  of  every  man  was  now  against  his  neighbor.  Nothing 
was  lasting;  and  in  419  the  Eastern  Tsin  dynasty,  which  had  dragged 
on  a  checkered  existence  for  nearly  a  century,  came  to  an  end,  and 
with  it  disappeared  for  nearly  200  years  all  semblance  of  united  au- 
thority. The  country  became  divided  into  two  parts,  the  north  and  the 
south.  In  the  north  four  families  reigned  successively,  two  of  which 
were  of  Seen-pe  origin,  viz.,  the  Wei  and  the  How  Chow,  the  other  two, 
the  Phi  Tse  and  the  How  Leang,  being  Chinese.  In  the  south  five  dif- 
ferent houses  supplied  rulers,  who  were  all  of  Chinese  descent. 

This  period  of  disorder  was  brought  to  a  close  by  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Suy  dynasty  in  590.  Among  the  officials  of  the  ephemeral 
dynasty  of  Chow  was  one  Yang  Keen,  who,  when  his  daughter  became 
empress  in  578,  had  been  created  Duke  of  Suy.  Meanwhile,  he  waited 
for  an  opportunity  to  overturn  the  reigning  house,  and,  as  has  so  often 
happened  in  the  history  of  China,  he  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  last  of 
the  house  of  Chin  was  as  weak  and  profligate  as  any  of  his  predeces- 
sors. In  590  Yang  Keen  deposed  him  and  immediately  ascended  the 
throne.  The  country,  weary  of  contention,  was  only  too  glad  to  ac- 
knowledge his  undivided  authority;  and  during  the  sixteen  years  of 
his  reign  the  internal  affairs  of  China  were  comparatively  peaceably 
and  prosperously  administered.  The  emperor  instituted  a.  new  and  im- 
proved code  of  laws,  and  showed  his  respect  for  literature  by  adding 
5,000  volumes  to  the  10,000  which  composed  the  imperial  library. 

Abroad,  his  policy  was  equally  successful.  He  defeated  the  Tar- 
tars and  chastised  the  Koreans,  who  were  disposed  to  throw  aside  his 
authority.  The  only  scene  of  disorder  was  in  his  own  household.  His 
sons  were  unruly  and  violent,  and  after  his  death,  in  604,  his  second 
son  forced  the  heir  to  the  throne  to  strangle  himself,  and  then  in- 
stantly assumed  the  imperial  yellow.  This  usurper,  Yang-te,  was  seized 
with  a  desire  for  conquest.    He  sent  expeditions  against  the  Tartars, 


64  THE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

and  regained  some  of  the  influence  which  had  formerly  belonged  to 
China  in  Central  Asia. 

During  his  reign  the  volumes  in  the  imperial  library  were  in- 
creased to  54,000,  and  he  spent  vast  sums  in  erecting  a  magnificent 
palace  at  Lo-yang,  and  in  constructing  unprofitable  canals.  These 
and  other  extravagances  laid  so  heavy  a  burden  on  the  country  that 
discontent  began  again  to  prevail,  and  upon  the  emperor's  return 
from  a  successful  expedition  against  the  Koreans,  he  found  his  king- 
dom divided  into  rebellious  factions.  In  the  turmoil  which  followed 
General  Le  Yeun  rose  to  the  surface,  and  on  the  death  of  the  em- 
peror by  assassination  in  617  this  man  set  Kung-te,  the  rightful  heir, 
on  the  throne  until  such  time  as  he  should  have  matured  his  schemes. 
In  the  following  year  a  dose  of  poison  vacated  the  throne,  and  Li  Yuen 
forthwith  assumed  the  imperial  sceptre,  and  proclaimed  himself  as 
Tai-tsung  the  first  emperor  of  the  Tang  dynasty. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  this  ruler  was  to  establish  schools  through- 
out the  land.  He  instituted  a  system  of  literary  examinations;  and 
ordered  a  complete  and  accurate  edition  of  all  the  classics  to  be  pub- 
nshed  under  the  supervision  of  the  most  learned  men  of  the  empire. 
He  honored  the  memory  of  Confucius  with  special  ceremonies  of  re- 
spect; he  drew  up  a  code  of  laws  for  the  direction  of  his  high  officials 
in  their  judicial  functions;  and  he  made  journeys  through  his  domin- 
ions to  inspect  the  conditions  of  the  people. 

During  his  reign,  the  limits  of  the  empire  were  extended  over  all 
the  Turkish  tribes  lying  west  of  the  Kausuh,  and  south  of  the  Tien- 
shan  as  far  as  the  Caspian  sea,  which  were  placed  under  four  satra- 
pies, or  residencies,  those  of  Kuche,  Pisha  or  Khoten,  Harashar,  and 
Kashgar,  as  their  names  are  at  present.  West  of  the  last,  many  smaller 
tribes  submitted,  and  rendered  a  partial  subjection  to  the  emperor, 
who  arranged  them  into  sixteen  governments  under  the  management 
of  a  governor  general  over  their  own  chieftains.  His  frontiers 
reached  from  the  borders  of  Persia,  the  Caspian  sea  and  the  Altai  of 
the  Kirghis  steppe,  along  those  mountains  to  the  north  side  of  Gobi 
eastward  to  the  Inner  Huigan.  Sogdiana  and  part  of  the  Khorassan, 
and  the  regions  around  the  Hindu-kush,  also  obeyed  him.  The  rulers 
of  Nepaul  and  Magadha  or  Bahar  in  India  sent  their  salutations  by 
their  ambassadors,  and  the  Greek  emperor,  Theodosius,  sent  an  en- 
voy carrying  presents  of  rubies  and  emeralds. 

The  Nestorian   missionaries  also  presented  themselves   at   court. 


THE  GROWTH  OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  65 

Tai-tsung  received  them  with  respect,  and  heard  them  rehearse  the 
leading  tenets  of  their  doctrine;  he  ordered  a  temple  to  be  erected  at 
his  capital,  and  had  some  of  their  sacred  books  translated  for  his  ex- 
amination, though  there  is  no  evidence  now  remaining  that  any  por- 
tion of  the  Bible  v/as  done  into  Chinese  at  this  time. 

Xear  the  close  of  his  life,  Tai-tsung  undertook  an  expedition  against 
Korea,  but  the  conquest  of  that  country  was  not  completed  until 
after  his  death,  when  his  son  was  successful  in  subduing  it.  During 
Tai-tsung's  reign,  his  life  was  attempted  several  times,  once  by  his 
own  son,  but  he  was  preserved  from  these  attacks,  and  died  after  a 
reign  of  twenty-three  years,  deeply  lamented  by  a  grateful  people. 

Tai-tsung  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Kaou-tsung,  whose  indolent 
imbecility  appeared  the  more  despicable  after  his  father's  vigor,  but 
his  reign  fills  a  large  place  in  Chinese  history,  from  the  extraordinary 
career  of  his  empress.  Woo  How,  who  gained  supreme  influence  in 
the  management  of  his  affairs.  The  character  of  this  woman  has,  no 
doubt,  suffered  much  from  the  bad  reputation  native  historians  have 
given  her,  but  enough  can  be  gathered  from  their  accounts  to  show 
that  with  all  her  cruelty,  she  understood  how  to  maintain  the  author- 
ity of  the  crown,  repress  foreign  invasions,  quell  domestic  sedition, 
and  provide  for  the  wants  of  the  people. 

Introduced  to  the  harem  of  Tai-tsung  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  she 
was  sent  at  his  death  to  the  retreat  where  all  his  women  were  con- 
demned for  the  rest  of  their  days  to  honorable  imprisonment.  While 
a  member  of  the  palace,  Kaou-tsung  had  been  charmed  with  her  ap- 
pearance, and  having  seen  her  at  one  of  the  state  ceremonies  con- 
nected with  the  ancestral  worship,  brought  her  back  to  the  palace. 
His  queen,  Wang-shi  favored  these  attentions  in  order  to  draw  him 
from  another  rival,  but  the  charms  of  Woo  How  soon  obtained  entire 
sway  over  the  monarch,  and  united  the  former  rivals  against  her. 
She  managed  to  fill  the  principal  offices  with  her  friends,  and  by  a 
series  of  maneuvers  supplanted  them  both,  and  became  empress. 
She  gradually  assumed  more  and  more  authority,  until,  long  before 
the  emperor's  death,  she  engrossed  the  whole  management  of  affairs, 
and  at  his  demise  she  took  the  reins  of  government,  which  she  wielded 
for  twenty-one  years  with  no  weak  hand.  Her  generals  extended  the 
limits  of  the  empire,  and  her  officers  carried  into  effect  her  orders  to 
alleviate  the  miseries  of  the  people. 


66  THE   GROWTH   OF  A    GREAT  EMPIRE. 

AVheu  she  was  disabled  by  age,  her  sou  Chuug-tsimg,  supported 
by  some  of  the  first  men  of  the  laud,  asserted  his  claim  to  her  throne, 
and  by  a  palace  conspiracy  succeeded  in  removing  her  to  her  own 
apartments,  where  she  died  in  705,  aged  eighty-one  years. 

Chung-tsing  for  a  few  years  emerged  from  the  obscurity  in  which 
he  had  lived  during  his  mother's  reign,  but  his  wift^,  desiring  to  play 
a  similar  role  to  that  enjoyed  by  Woo  How,  poisoned  him,  and  set 
her  son,  Juy-tsuug,  on  the  throne.  This  monarch,  who  was  weak  and 
vicious,  reigned  but  three  years,  and  was  succeeded  in  713  by  Yueu- 
tsung,  who  Avas  in  some  respects  an  enlightened  and  able  prince.  He 
busied  himself  with  introducing  reform  into  the  administration  of 
the  empire,  and  encouraged  literature  and  learning  Avith  wisdom 
and  discretion.  During  his  reign  the  king  of  Khokand  applied  to  him 
for  aid  against  the  Tibetans  and  Arabs,  who  were  advancing  to  at- 
tack him.  Yeun-tsang  promptly  sent  an  army  to  his  rescue,  and  the 
aggressors  Avere  completely  routed.  In  a  war  with  the  Khitans  in  the 
north-east  he  Avas  not  so  successful;  and  in  the  disorder  which  arose 
in  consequence  of  the  invasion  of  the  northern  provinces  by  these 
formidable  neighbors.  General  Gan  Lus-shan,  an  officer  of  Turkish, 
descent,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  a  revolt,  and  having  secured 
Tung-kAvan  on  the  YelloAV  river,  advanced  on  Chang-gan.  In  this 
emergency  the  emperor  fled,  and  placed  his  son,  Suh-tsung,  on  the 
throne.  This  sovereign  summoned  to  his  aid  the  forces  of  the  kings 
of  Khoten  and  Khokand,  of  the  state  of  Bokhara,  of  the  Ouigours,  and 
of  the  Arabs,  and  with  these  allies  he  completely  defeated  Gan  Luh- 
shan  and  suppressed  the  rebellion.  The  promise  held  out  by  this  en- 
ergetic beginning  of  his  career  was  not  filled  out  in  his  later  reign, 
for  he  fell  under  the  influence  of  bad  advisers  in  his  court,  and  died 
unregretted  in  762. 

During  the  folloAving  reigns  the  Tibetans  made  constant  incur- 
sions into  the  Avestern  provinces  of  the  empire,  and  Tai-tsung,  who 
occupied  the  throne  from  763  to  780,  was  compelled  to  purchase  the 
assistance  of  the  Ouigours  against  these  invaders  by  giving  a  Chinese 
princess  as  a  Avife  to  the  Khan. 

The  history  of  this  and  the  following  century  is  for  the  most  part 
a  monotonous  record  of  feeble  governments,  low  and  vicious  intrigues, 
oppressions  and  rebellions.  Almost  the  only  relief  in  the  constant 
rounds  of  these  scenes  towards  the  close  of  the  Tang  dvnastv  was 


THE   GROWTH   OF  A    GREAT  EMPIRE.  67 

the  iconoclastic  policy  of  Woo-tsung,  who  reigned  from  841  to  847. 
Viewing  the  increase  of  monasteries  and  ecclesiastical  establishments 
as  an  evil,  he  abolished  all  temples,  closed  all  the  monasteries  and 
nunneries,  and  sent  the  inmates  back  to  their  families.  Foreign  priests 
were  subjected  to  the  same  repressive  legislation,  and  Christians, 
Buddhists,  and  Magi  were  bidden  to  turn  their  faces  westward  in  the 
direction  from  whence  they  came.  However,  this  policy  terminated 
with  the  death  of  this  ruler.  Buddhism  again  revived  during  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  E-tsung  (860-874),  who,  having  had  the  honor  to 
discover  a  bone  of  Buddha,  brought  it  to  the  capital  in  great  state. 

But  by  constant  internal  dissensions  and  outbreaks  the  empire  be- 
came so  weakened  that  the  prince  of  Leang  found  no  difficulty  in  gain- 
ing possession  of  the  throne,  and  in  907  he  assumed  the  imperial  yel- 
low with  the  title  of  Tai-tsoo,  the  first  emperor  of  the  later  Leang 
dynasty.  Thus  ended  the  Tang  dynasty,  which  is  regarded  as  being 
the  Golden  Age  of  Chinese  literature. 

Five  dynasties,  viz.,  the  Later  Leang,  the  Later  Tang,  the  Later 
Tsin,  the  Later  Han,  and  the  Later  Chow  followed  each  other  in  quick 
succession  between  the  years  907  and  900.  But  though  the  monarchs 
of  these  lines  nominally  held  sway  over  the  empire,  their  real  power 
was  confined  to  very  narrow  limits.  The  disorders  which  were  rife 
during  the  time  when  the  Tang  dynasty  was  tottering  to  its  fall  fos- 
tered the  development  of  independent  states,  and  so  arose  Leang  in 
Ho-nan  and  Shan-tung,  Ke  in  Shen-si,  Hwai-nan  in  Keang-nan,  Chow 
in  Sze-chuan  and  parts  of  Shen-si  and  Hu-kuang,  Woo-yue  in  Chi- 
kiang,  Tsoo  and  King-nan  in  Hu-kuang,  Ling-nan  in  Kuang-tung,  and 
the  Ouigours  in  Tangout. 

A  partial  end  was  made  to  the  disorganization  when,  in  960,  General 
Chaou  Kwang-yin  was  proclaimed  by  acclamation  of  the  army  emperor 
in  succession  to  the  youthful  Kung-te,  who  was  compelled  to  vacate  the 
throne  to  make  way  for  his  former  lieutenant.  The  circumstances  of  the 
time  justified  the  exchange.  It  required  a  strong  hand  to  weld  together 
again  the  different  parts  into  which  the  empire  had  been  divided,  and  to 
resist  the  attacks  of  the  Khitan  Tartars,  whose  rule  at  this  period  ex- 
tended over  the  whole  of  Manchuria  and  Leaou-tung.  Against  these 
aggressive  neighbors  Tai-tsoo,  the  name  under  which  Chaou  Kwang- 
yin  assumed  the  throne,  directed  his  best  efforts  with  varying  success, 
and  he  died  in  976,  while  the  war  was  still  being  waged. 


68  THE   GROWTH   OF  A   ORE  AT  EMPIRE. 

His  son  Tai-tsiing  entered  on  the  campaign  with  energy,  but  in  the 
end  was  compelled  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Khitans.  His 
successor,  Chin-tsung,  who  reigned  from  997  to  1022,  descended  a  step 
lower  in  his  dealings  with  them,  and  agreed  to  pay  them  tribute  to  in- 
duce them  to  abstain  from  their  incursions.  Probably  this  tribute 
was  not  sent  regularly;  at  all  events,  under  Jin-tsung  (1023-1064),  the 
Khitans  again  threatened  to  invade  the  empire,  and  were  only  per- 
suaded to  forego  their  determination  by  the  emperor  promising  to  pay 
them  an  annual  tribute  of  200,000  taels  of  silver,  besides  a  great  quan- 
tity of  silken  goods.  Neither  was  this  arrangement  long  binding,  and 
so  formidable  were  the  advances  made  by  the  Tartars  in  the  next  and 
following  reign,  that  Hwuy-tsung  (1101-1126),  invited  the  Neu-che  Tar- 
tars to  expel  the  Khitans  from  Leaou-tung. 

They  readily  responded  to  this  call;  the  service  was  effectually  per- 
formed, but  having  once  possessed  themselves  of  the  country  they  de- 
clined to  yield  it  to  the  Chinese,  and  the  result  was  that  a  still  more 
aggressive  neighbor  was  established  on  the  north-eastern  frontier  of 
China.  Without  delay  the  Neu-che  or  Kins,  as  they  now  styled  them- 
selves, overran  the  provinces  of  Chih-li,  Shen-si,  Shan-si,  and  Ho-nan, 
and  during  the  reign  of  Kaou-tsung  (1127-1163),  they  advanced  their 
conquests  to  the  line  of  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  the  Mongols  began  to  acquire  power 
in  Eastern  Asia,  and  about  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  century  they 
invaded  the  north-western  frontier  of  China  and  the  principality  of 
Hea,  which  at  that  time  consisted  of  the  modern  provinces  of  Shen-si 
and  Kan-su.  To  purchase  the  good  will  of  these  subjects  of  Ghengiz 
Khan  the  king  of  Hea  agreed  to  pay  them  tribute,  and  gave  a  x^rincess 
in  marriage  to  their  ruler.  Hitherto  the  Mongols  had  been  vassals  of 
the  Kin  Tartars,  but  the  rapid  growth  of  their  power  indisposed  them 
to  remain  tributaries  of  any  monarch,  and  in  consequence  of  a  dispute 
with  the  Emperor  Wei-choau  Wang,  Ghengiz  Khan  determined  to  invade 
the  Kin  province  of  Leaou-tung.  In  this  expedition  he  was  aided  by 
the  followers  of  the  Khitan  leader,  Yay-lu  Tsoo-tsai,  and  in  alliance 
with  this  general  he  captured  Leaou-yang,  the  capital  city. 

After  an  unsuccessful  invasion  of  China  in  1212,  Ghengiz  Khan  re- 
newed the  attack  in  the  following  year  and  completely  defeated  the 
Kins.  In  the  confusion  which  followed  the  emperor  was  murdered  by 
his  generals,  and  Seuen-tsung  ascended  the  throne.    But  the  change  of 


THE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  69 

ruler  brought  no  better  fortune  to  the  Kin  cause.  Ghengiz  Khan  divi- 
ded his  army  into  four  divisions,  and  made  a  general  advance  south- 
wards. With  resistless  force  his  soldiers  swept  over  the  provinces  of 
Ho-nan,  Chih-li,  and  Shan-tung,  destroying  in  their  course  more  than 
ninety  cities,  and  spreading  desolation  everywhere.  It  was  their  boast 
that  a  horseman  might  ride  without  stumbling  over  the  sites  where 
these  cities  had  stood. 

Panic-stricken  by  the  danger  which  threatened  him,  the  emperor 
moved  his  court  to  Kai-fung  Fu,  much  against  the  advice  of  his  min- 
isters, who  foresaw  the  disastrous  effect  this  retreat  would  have  upon 
the  fortunes  of  Kin.  And  now,  as  foes  advanced,  friends  fell  off  from 
the  tottering  house.  The  state  of  Sung,  which  up  to  this  time  had  paid 
tribute,  now  declined  to  recognize  Kin  as  its  feudal  chief,  and  a  short 
time  afterwards  declared  war  against  its  quondam  ally.  Meanwhile, 
in  1215,  Yay-lu  Tsoo-tsai  advanced  into  China  by  the  Shan-hai  Kwan, 
and  made  himself  master  of  Peking,  which  until  then  was  one  of  the 
few  cities  in  Chih-li  which  remained  to  Kin.  After  this  victory  his 
nobles  wished  him  to  proclaim  himself  emperor,  but  he  refused,  being 
mindful  of  his  oath  which  he  had  sworn  to  Ghengiz  Khan.  In  1216 
Tung-Kuan,  a  pass  in  the  mountains  between  the  frontier  of  Ho-nan 
and  Shen-si,  which  in  the  history  of  China  has  been  the  scene  of  nu- 
merous dynastic  battles,  forming  as  it  does  the  only  gateway  between 
Eastern  and  Western  China,  was  taken  by  the  invaders. 

Year  after  year  the  war  dragged  on,  the  resistance  offered  by  the 
Kins  growing  weaker  and  weaker.  In  1220  Tse-nan  Foo,  the  capital 
of  Shan-tung,  was  taken,  and  five  years  later  Ghengiz  Khan  marched 
an  army  westward  into  Ilea  and  completely  conquered  the  forces  of 
the  king;  but  it  was  not  until  the  year  following  the  king's  death  that 
he  took  possession  of  the  principality.  In  the  succeeding  year  Ghengiz 
Khan  himself  was  gathered  to  his  fathers,  and  Ogdai,  his  son,  reigned 
in  his  stead. 

Thus  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  this  great  general,  whose  armies 
had  triumphed  victoriously  over  the  Avhole  of  Central  Asia,  from  the 
Caspian  sea  and  the  Indus  to  Korea  and  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang.  With 
his  dying  breath  he  adjured  his  son  to  complete  the  conquest  of  China, 
and  with  a  view  to  this,  the  crowning  desire  of  his  life,  he  declined  to 
nominate  either  of  the  two  eldest  sons  who  had  been  born  to  his  Chin- 
ese wives,  as  his  heir,  but  chose  rather  his  third  son,  Ogdai,  whose 


70  THE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

mother  was  a  Tartar.  On  hearing  of  the  death  of  Ghengiz  Khan  the 
Kins  sent  an  embassy  to  his  successor  desiring  peace,  but  Ogdai,  re- 
membering the  last  injunctions  of  his  father,  told  them  there  would 
be  no  peace  for  them  until  their  dynasty  should  be  overthrown. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Mongols  had  been  without  any  code  of  laws. 
The  old  rule 

"That  they  should  take  who  have  the  power, 
And  they  should  keep  who  can," 
was  the  maxim  on  which  they  guided  their  mutual  intercourse,  and  the 
punishments  due  for  offences  were  left  entirely  to  the  discretion  of  the 
officers  before  whom  the  offenders  were  tried.  The  consistency,  how- 
ever, which  had  been  given  to  the  nation  by  the  conquests  of  Ghen- 
giz Khan  made  it  necessary  to  establish  a  recognized  code  of  laws, 
and  one  of  the  first  acts  of  Ogdai  was  to  form  such  a  code.  With  the 
help  also  of  Yay-lu  Tsoo-tsai,  he  established  custom  houses  in  Ohih-li, 
Shan-tung,  Shan-si,  and  Leaou-tung;  and  for  this  purpose  divided  these 
provinces  into  ten  departments. 

Meanwhile  the  war  with  the  Kins  was  carried  on  with  energy.  In 
1230  Se-gan  Fu  was  taken,  and  sixty  important  posts  were  captured. 
Two  years  later  Too-le,  brother  of  Ogdai,  took  Fung-tseang  Fu  and 
Han-chung  Fu,  in  the  flight  from  which  last  named  place  100,000  per- 
sons are  said  to  have  perished.  Following  the  course  of  the  river  Han 
in  his  victorious  career  this  general  destroyed  140  towns  and  fortresses, 
and  defeated  the  army  of  Kin  at  Mount  San-fung. 

In  the  following  year  the  Mongol  cause  suffered  a  great  loss  by  the 
death  of  Too-le.  This  famous  warrior  left  behind  hi)m  twelve  sons, 
two  of  whom,  Mangu,  the  first-born,  and  Kublai,  the  fourth  son,  were 
destined  to  sit  in  succession  on  the  throne  of  their  uncle  Ogdai.  But 
their  time  was  not  yet.  First  of  all  they  had  to  win  their  spurs,  and 
well  did  they  prove  by  their  deeds  their  right  to  the  name  of  Mongol 
or  "daring."  In  China,  in  Central  Asia,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  Caspian 
they  led  their  victorious  armies.  But  meanwhile,  in  1232,  the  Mongols 
made  an  alliance  with  the  state  of  Sung,  by  which,  on  condition  of 
Sung  helping  to  destroy  Kin,  Ho-nan  was  to  be  the  property  of  Sung 
forever.  The  effect  of  this  coalition  soon  became  apparent.  Barely 
had  the  Kin  emperor  retreated  from  Kai-fung  Fu  to  Joo-ning  Fu  in 
Ho-nan  when  the  former  place  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  allies.  Next 
fell  Loyang,  and  the  victorious  generals  then  marched  on  to  besiege 


THE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  71 

Joo-ning  Fu.  The  presence  of  the  emperor  gave  energy  to  the  defend- 
ers, and  they  held  out  till  every  animal  in  the  city  had  been  killed  for 
food,  until  every  old  and  useless  person  had  suffered  death  to  lessen 
the  number  of  hungry  mouths,  until  so  many  able-bodied  men  had 
fallen  by  the  hands  of  the  enemy  that  the  women  manned  ramparts, 
and  then  the  allies  stormed  the  walls.  Once  inside  the  town  the  inhab- 
itants, enfeebled  by  starvation,  fell  ready  victims  to  their  swords.  The 
emperor,  like  another  Sardanapalus,  despairing  now  of  success,  burned 
himself  to  death  in  his  palace,  that  his  body  might  not  fall  into  the 
hands  of  his  enemies.  For  a  few  days  the  shadow  of  the  imperial  crown 
rested  on  the  head  of  his  heir  Changlin,  but  in  a  tumult  which  broke 
out  amongst  his  followers  he  lost  his  life,  and  with  him  ended  the 
"Golden"  dynasty,  which  from  that  time  disappeared  from  the  coun- 
try's annals  until  the  Manchu  family  came  nearly  four  centuries  later, 
to  claim  the  throne  as  heirs  of  the  defender  of  Joo-ning  Fu. 

Although  China  was  still  by  no  means  conquered,  yet  the  extinction 
of  the  Kin  dynasty  enabled  Ogdai  to  send  an  army  of  300,000  men  to 
ravage  the  country  bordering  on  the  Caspian  sea.  But  so  vast  were 
the  resources  at  his  command,  that  he  was  able  to  dispatch  at  the  same 
time  a  force  of  600,000  strong  into  Sze-chuan  to  subdue  the  power  of 
Sung  in  that  province.  For,  notwithstanding  the  treaty  which  had 
been  made  between  Ogdai  and  Sung,  no  sooner  were  the  spoils  of  Kin 
to  be  divided  than  fierce  war  broke  out  again  between  them,  in  prose- 
cuting which  the  Mongol  armies  swept  over  the  provinces  of  Hu-kuang, 
Keang-nan,  and  Ho-nan,  and  were  checked  only  when  they  reached 
the  walls  of  Lu-chou  Fu  in  Gan-hwuy.  Ogdai  was  not  destined  to  live 
to  see  his  sway  acknowledged  over  the  whole  empire.  He  died  in  1241, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six,  having  reigned  thirteen  years,  and  was  nominally 
succeeded  by  his  grandson,  Cheliemen. 

But  among  the  numerous  ladies  who  called  Ogdai  lord,  was  one 
named  Toliekona,  who  on  the  death  of  the  emperor  took  possession  of 
the  throne,  and  after  exercising  rule  for  four  years,  established  her  son, 
Kwei-yew,  as  Great  Khan.  But  in  1248  his  life  was  cut  short,  and  the 
nobles,  disregarding  the  claims  of  Cheliemen,  proclaimed  as  emperor 
Mangu,  the  eldest  son  of  Too-le.  Under  this  monarch  the  war  against 
Sung  was  carried  on  with  energy,  and  Kublai,  outstripping  the  bounds 
of  Sung  territory,  made  his  way  into  the  province  of  Yun-nan,  which  at 
that  time  was  divided  into  a  number  of  independent  states,  and  having 


72  THE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

attached  them  to  his  brother's  crown  he  passed  on  into  Tibet,  Tonktn, 
and  Cochin-China,  and  from  thence  striking  northwards  entered  the 
province  of  Kuang-si. 

On  the  death  of  Mangu  in  1259  Kublai  ascended  the  throne,  and 
never  in  the  history  of  China  was  the  nation  more  illustrious,  nor  its 
power  more  wddely  felt,  than  under  this  sovereignty.  During  the  first 
twenty  years  of  his  reign  Sung  kept  up  a  resistance,  gradually  growing 
weaker  and  weaker,  against  his  authority;  and  it  w^as  not,  therefore, 
until  1280  that  he  assumed  complete  jurisdiction  as  emperor  of  China. 
At  this  time  his  authority  was  acknowledged  "From  the  Frozen  sea, 
almost  to  the  Straits  of  Malacca.  With  the  exception  of  Hindustan, 
Arabia,  and  the  westernmost  parts  of  Asia,  all  the  Mongol  princes  as 
far  as  the  Dnieper  declared  themselves  his  vassals,  and  brought  regu- 
larly their  tribute." 

It  was  during  this  reign  that  Marco  Polo  visited  China,  and  he  de- 
scribes in  glowing  colors  the  virtues  and  glories  of  the  "Great  Khan." 
But  though  his  rule  was  characterized  by  discretion  and  munificence, 
his  Chinese  subjects  were  uneasy  under  his  yoke.  He  undertook  public 
works,  he  patronized  literature,  and  relieved  the  distress  of  the  poor, 
but  still  they  never  forgot  that  he  was  an  alien  and  a  barbarian,  and 
he  died  unregretted  in  1294.  His  son  had  died  during  his  lifetime,  and 
after  some  contention  his  grandson  Timur  ascended  the  throne  under 
the  title  of  Yuen-ching.  After  a  reign  uneventful  to  China  this  prince 
was  gathered  to  his  fathers  in  1307,  and  as  he  left  no  son,  Woo-tsung, 
a  Mongol  prince,  reigned  in  his  stead. 

To  him  succeeded  Jin-tsung  in  1311,  who  made  himself  conspicuous 
by  the  honor  he  showed  to  the  memory  of  Confucius,  and  by  distribut- 
ing offices  more  equally  between  Mongols  and  Chinese  than  had  hith- 
erto been  done.  This  act  of  justice  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  Chin- 
ese, and  his  death  in  1320  ended  a  peaceful  and  prosperous  reign. 
Three  years  later, — three  years  of  disorder, — his  successor,  Ying-tsung, 
was  murdered  by  a  band  of  conspirators.  From  this  time  the  star  of 
the  Yuen  dynasty  was  in  the  descendant.  Tai-ting-te,  Ming-tsung, 
Wan-te,  and  Shun-te  followed  one  another  on  the  throne  in  quick  suc- 
cession. Each  reign  was  more  troublesome  than  the  last;  and  in  the 
person  of  Shun-te  (1333-1368)  was  summed  up  all  the  vices  and  faults 
of  his  predecessors. 

Outbreaks,  which  up  to  his  time  had  been  local  in  their  character, 


THE  GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  73 

assumed  large  and  threatening  proportions;  and  finally  this  descend- 
ant of  Ghengiz  Khan  was  compelled  to  fly  from  his  capital  before  Choo 
Yuen-chang,  the  son  of  a  Chinese  laboring  man.  Deserted  by  his  fol- 
lowers he  sought  refuge  in  Ying-chang  Fu,  and  there  the  last  of  a  Yuen 
dynasty  died. 

So  disunited  had  the  empire  become  by  constant  disturbances  and 
rebellions,  that  Choo  Yuen-chang  met  with  little  opposition  to  his  forces, 
more  especially  as  his  first  care  on  becoming  possessed  of  a  district 
was  to  suppress  lawlessness  and  to  establish  a  settled  government.  In 
1355  he  crossed  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  and  captured  Nan-king,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  success  he  proclaimed  himself  duke  of  Woo,  but  as 
yet  he  carefully  avoided  adopting  any  of  the  insignia  of  royalty.  Even 
when  lie  had  taken  the  capital  and  was  master  of  the  empire  thirteen 
years  later,  he  still  professed  to  dislike  the  idea  of  assuming  the  im- 
perial title.  His  scruples,  however,  on  this  point  were  overcome,  and 
he  solemnly  declared  himself  emperor  in  1368. 

Once  seated  upon  the  throne,  he  ingratiated  himself  with  his  sub- 
jects by  his  generous  treatment  of  his  enemies,  and  by  the  regard  he 
showed  for  the  welfare  of  his  people.  He  carried  his  arms  into  Tar- 
tary,  where  he  subdued  the  last  semblance  of  Mongol  power  in  that 
direction,  and  then  bent  his  steps  towards  Leoau-tung.  Here  the 
Mongols  defended  themselves  with  the  bravery  of  despair,  but  nothing 
could  resist  the  onslaught  of  the  victorious  Chinese,  and  the  conquest 
of  this  province  left  Hung-woo,  as  the  founder  of  the  new  or  Ming, 
"Bright,"  dynasty  styled  himself,  without  a  foe  in  the  empire. 

Hung-woo  cultivated  friendly  relations  with  the  rulers  of  the  neij>:h-" 
boring  states  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  kingdom.  The  king  of  Korea 
sent  an  embassy  to  congratulate  him  upon  his  succession,  and  the 
sovereign  of  the  Lew-chew  Islands  sent  his  brothers  and  sons  to  his 
court  to  be  educated.  As  a  quondam  Buddhist  priest  he  naturally  lent 
his  countenance  to  that  religion  to  the  exclusion  of  Taoism,  whose 
priests  had  for  centuries  earned  the  contempt  of  all  but  the  most  igno- 
rant by  their  pretended  magical  arts  and  their  search  after  the  phil- 
osopher's stone. 

In  1398,  and  in  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  reign,  Hung-woo  was  gath- 
ered to  his  fathers,  and  Keen-wan,  his  grandson,  reigned  in  his  stead. 
Aware  that  the  appointment  of  this  youth — his  father  was  dead — would 
give  offence  to  the  young  emperor's  uncles,  Hung-woo  dismissed  them 


74  THE   GROWTH  OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

to  their  respective  governments  before  deatli  closed  liis  ej^es.  This, 
however,  only  delayed  the  storm.  The  prince  of  Yen,  his  eldest  surviv- 
ing son,  raised  the  banner  of  rebellion  in  his  principality  as  soon  as 
the  news  reached  him  of  his  nephew's  accession,  and  after  gaining 
several  victories  over  the  armies  of  Keen-wan  he  presented  himself 
before  the  gates  of  Nan-king,  the  capital. 

Treachery  opened  the  gates  to  him,  and  the  emperor  having  fled 
in  the  disguise  of  a  monk,  the  victorious  prince  clothed  himself  in 
imperial  yellow  and  took  the  title  of  Yung-lo.  At  home  this  monarch 
devoted  himself  to  the  encouragement  of  literature  and  the  fine  arts, 
and,  possibly  from  a  knowledge  that  Keen-wan  was  among  the  Bud- 
dhist priests,  he  renewed  the  law  prohibiting  Buddhism.  Abroad  he 
swept  Cochin-China  and  Tonkin  within  the  folds  of  his  empire  and 
carried  his  arms  into  Tartary,  where  he  made  new  conquests  of  waste 
regions  and  erected  a  monument  of  his  victories.  His  death  took 
place  in  1425,  and  he  was  in  that  year  succeeded  by  his  son  Hung-ke. 

Hung-ke^s  reign  was  short  and  uneventful.  He  did  that  which 
was  right  as  far  as  his  knowledge  went.  He  strove  to  promote  only 
such  mandarins  as  proved  themselves  to  be  able  and  honest,  and  de- 
sirous of  securing  the  welfare  of  the  people.  During  the  reign  of  his 
successor,  Suen-tih  (1426-1436),  the  empire  suffered  the  first  loss  of 
territory  since  the  commencement  of  the  dynasty.  Cochin-China  re- 
belled and  gained  her  independence.  But  this  was  but  the  beginning 
of  troubles.  The  next  emperor,  Ching-tung,  was  defeated  and  taken 
prisoner  by  a  Tartar  chieftain,  a  descendant  of  the  Yuen  family  named 
Ye-seen,  who  had  invaded  the  northern  provinces.  With  unusual 
clemency  the  Tartar  gave  him  his  life,  though  he  kept  him  a  close 
prisoner  until  the  fortunes  of  war  turned  against  him.  Having  been 
completely  defeated  by  a  Chinese  force  from  Liao-tung,  Ye-seen  lib- 
erated his  captive,  who  returned  to  his  capital  amidst  the  rejoicings 
of  his  people,  again  to  occupy  the  throne  which  during  his  imprison- 
ment (1450-1457)  had  been  held  by  his  brother  King-te. 

The  two  following  reigns,  those  of  Ching-hwa  (1465-1488)  and  of 
Hung-che  (1488-1506)  were  quiet  and  peaceful.  But  their  successor, 
Ching-tih  (1506-1522),  w^as  called  upon  to  face  a  very  formidable  in- 
surrection headed  by  the  prince  of  Ning.  He  was,  however,  victorious 
over  the  rebel,  who  lost  30,000  men  in  the  engagement  which  put  an 
end  to  his  hopes.    The  disorder  into  which  the  empire  had  been  thrown 


TEE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  75 

by  this  civil  war  encouraged  the  foreign  enemies  of  China.  First  of 
all  came  a  Tartar  army  from  the  dreaded  north  under  Yen-ta,  during 
the  reign  of  Kea-tsing,  in  1542,  which  laid  waste  the  province  of  Shen- 
si,  and  even  threatened  the  capital,  and  a  little  later  a  Japanese  fleet 
appeared  off  the  coast  and  carried  fire  and  sword  through  the  littoral 
provinces. 

Ill-blood  had  arisen  between  the  Chinese  and  their  island  neigh- 
bors before  this  time,  and  a  Japanese  colony  had  been  driven  out  of 
Ningpo  by  force  and  not  without  bloodshed  a  few  years  previously. 
Kea-tsing  was  not  equal  to  such  emergencies,  and  his  death,  which 
took  place  in  1567,  would  have  been  an  advantage  to  the  empire,  had 
his  son  been  a  more  able  prince.  But  the  only  weapon  this  ruler, 
Yung-king  by  name,  was  able  to  wield  against  the  Tartar  Yen-ta  was 
a  bribe.  He  made  him  a  prince  of  the  empire,  and  gave  him  certain 
commercial  privileges,  which  were  further  supplemented  by  the  suc- 
ceeding emperor,  Wan-leih  (1573-1620),  by  a  grant  of  land  in  Shen-se. 

During  the  reign  of  this  sovereign,  in  the  year  1592,  the  Japanese 
successfully  invaded  Korea,  and  Taikosama,  the  emperor  of  Japan, 
was  on  the  point  of  proclaiming  himself  king  of  the  peninsula,  when 
a  large  Chinese  force,  answering  to  the  invitation  of  the  king,  ap- 
peared on  the  field  and  completely  routed  the  Japanese  army,  at  the 
same  time  that  the  Chinese  fleet  cut  oft'  their  retreat  by  sea.  In  this 
extremity  the  Japanese  sued  for  peace,  and  sent  an  embassy  to  Peking 
to  arrange  terms. 

But  the  peace  was  of  short  duration.  In  1597  the  Japanese  again 
invaded  Korea  and  defeated  the  Chinese  army  which  was  sent  against 
them ;  nor  were  they  less  successful  at  sea.  They  destroyed  the  Chinese 
fleet  and  ravaged  the  coast.  Suddenly,  however,  when  in  the  full 
tide  of  conquest,  they  evacuated  Korea,  which  again  fell  under  the  di- 
rection of  China.  Four  years  later  Ricci  arrived  at  the  Chinese  court; 
and  though  at  first  the  emperor  was  inclined  to  send  him  out  of  the 
country,  his  abilities  gradually  Avon  for  him  the  esteem  of  the  sover- 
eign and  his  ministers,  and  he  remained  the  scientific  adviser  of  the 
court  until  his  death  in  1610. 

About  this  time  the  power  which  was  destined  to  overthrow  the 
Ming  dynasty  began  to  grow  restless.  The  Manchu  Tartars,  goaded 
into  war  by  the  injustice  they  were  constantly  receiving  at  the  hands 
of  the  Chinese,  led  an  army  into  China  in  1616  and  completely  de- 


76  THE  GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

feated  the  force  which  was  sent  against  them.  Three  years  later 
they  were  again  victorious  over  the  Chinese,  and  they  gained  pos- 
session of  the  province  of  Liao-tung.  This  final  series  of  disasters 
was  more  than  the  emperor  could  bear,  and  he  died,  it  is  said,  of  a 
broken  heart  in  1620. 

In  the  same  year  Teen-ning,  the  Manchu  sovereign,  having  de- 
clared himself  independent,  and  possessed  himself  of  Leaou-tung, 
moved  the  court  to  San-koo,  to  the  east  of  Mukden,  which,  five  years 
later,  he  made  his  capital.  Meanwhile  Tai-chang,  the  son  of  Wan- 
leih,  ascended  the  Chinese  throne,  but  barely  had  he  assumed  the 
reins  of  power  when  he  fell  ill.  Acting  on  the  advice  of  his  doctors 
he  drank  the  liquor  of  immortality  and  died.  The  next  emperor,  Teen- 
ke,  after  a  brief  and  troublesome  reign,  followed  him  to  the  grave  in 
1627,  and  to  him  succeeded  Tsung-ching,  the  last  emperor  of  the  Ming 
dynasty. 

In  his  reign  the  storm  clouds,  which  had  been  collecting  for  some 
years,  burst  over  the  empire.  In  addition  to  the  threatened  danger 
on  the  north,  rebel  bands,  enriched  by  plunder,  and  grown  bold  by 
success,  began  to  assume  the  jjroportion  of  armies.  They  dominated 
over  whole  districts  and  provinces  and  paralyzed  the  imperial  armies 
by  their  energy  and  daring.  Out  of  this  seething  mass  of  insubordina- 
tion two  leaders  showed  themselves  conspicuously.  These  were  Le 
Tsze-ching  and  Shang  Ko-he.  In  order  that  there  should  be  no  dis- 
pute as  to  which  should  be  greatest,  they  decided  to  divide  the  em- 
pire between  them,  and  to  begin  with  it  was  agreed  that  Shang  should 
take  possession  of  Sze-chuan  and  Hu-kuang,  and  that  Le  should  make 
himself  master  of  Ho-nan. 

Bent  on  this  mission  Le  besieged  Kaifung  Fu,  the  capital  of  the 
province,  and  so  long  and  closely  did  he  beleaguer  it  that  in  the  con- 
sequent famine  human  flesh  was  regularly  sold  in  the  market.  At 
length  an  imperial  force  came  to  raise  the  siege,  with  consequences  as 
fatal  to  the  inhabitants  as  if  the  rebels  had  gained  the  city;  for,  fear- 
ful of  meeting  Le's  army  in  the  field,  they  cut  through  the  dykes  of 
the  Yellow  river,  "China's  Sorrow,"  and  flooded  the  whole  country 
including  the  city.  The  rebels  escaped  to  the  mountains,  but  upwards 
of  200,000  inhabitants  perished  in  the  flood,  and  the  city  became  a 
heap  of  ruins. 

From  Kaifung  Fu  Le  marched  against  the  other  strongholds  of 


THE   GROWTH   OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE.  71 

Ho-nan  and  Shen-si,  and  was  so  completely  successful  that  he  deter- 
mined to  attack  Peking.  A  treacherous  eunuch  opened  the  gates  to 
him,  on  being  informed  of  which  the  emperor  committed  suicide. 
When  the  news  of  this  disaster  reached  the  general  commanding  on 
the  frontier  of  Manchu,  Tartary,  he,  in  an  unguarded  moment,  con- 
cluded a  peace  with  the  Manchus,  and  invited  them  to  dispossess  the 
rebel  Le  Tsze-ching.  With  ready  acquiescence  the  Manchus  entered 
China,  and  after  defeating  a  rebel  army  sent  against  them,  they 
marched  towards  Peking.  On  hearing  of  the  approach  of  the  in- 
vaders, Le  Tsze-ching,  after  having  set  fire  to  the  imperial  palace, 
evacuated  the  city,  but  was  overtaken,  and  his  force  was  completely 
routed. 

The  object  for  which  the  Manchus  had  been  introduced  into  the 
empire  having  now  been  accomplished,  the  Chinese  wished  them  to 
retire,  but,  like  the  Mongols,  having  once  gained  a  footing  in  the 
empire,  they  declared  themselves  unwilling  to  leave  it,  and  having 
taken  possession  of  Peking  they  proclaimed  the  ninth  son  of  Teen- 
ning  emperor  of  China  under  the  title  of  Shun-che,  and  adopted  the 
name  of  Ta-tsing,  or  "Great  Pure,"  for  the  dynasty. 

Meanwhile  the  mandarins  at  Nanking  had  chosen  an  imperial 
prince  to  ascend  the  throne.  But  with  all  the  prestige  of  victory  the 
Tartars  bore  down  all  opposition,  and  at  this  most  inopportune  mo- 
ment "a  claimant"  to  the  throne,  in  the  person  of  a  pretended  son  of 
the  last  emperor,  appeared  at  court.  This  additional  complication 
still  further  reduced  the  Chinese  power  of  acting.  W^hile  this  con- 
tention prevailed  inside  Nanking  the  Tartar  army  appeared  at  the 
walls.  But  there  was  no  need  for  them  to  use  force.  The  gates  were 
thrown  open,  and  they  took  possession  of  the  city  without  shedding  a 
drop  of  blood. 

Following  the  conciliatory  policy  they  had  everywhere  pursued,  they 
confirmed  the  mandarins  in  their  olBfices  and  granted  a  general  amnesty 
to  all  w^ho  would  lay  down  their  arms.  As  the  Tartars  entered  the 
city  the  emperor  left  it,  and  after  wandering  about  for  some  days  in 
great  misery,  he  threw  himself  into  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  and  was 
drowned.  Thus  ended  the  Ming  dynasty,  and  the  empire  again  passed 
under  a  foreign  yoke. 

During  the  time  of  the  Ming  dynasty  in  China,  great  events  had 
transpired  in  other  parts  of  the  world.    In  England  occurred  the  great 


78  THE  GROWTH  OF  A   GREAT  EMPIRE. 

struggle  between  the  king  and  the  commons,  and  the  ultimate  tem- 
porary establishment  of  the  commonwealth.  We  have  Henry  IV.  in 
Prance  and  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  in  Spain.  In  England,  Shakes- 
peare and  Bacon;  in  France,  Eabelais  and  Descartes;  in  Germany, 
Luther  and  Copernicus;  in  Spain,  Cervantes;  and  in  Italy,  Galileo, 
Machiavelli  and  Tasso;  these  names  to  which  should  be  added  those 
of  the  great  explorers,  Columbus  and  Vasco  da  Gama,  serve  to  re- 
mind one  of  what  was  passing  meanwhile  in  the  West. 


0;  C 


oj  a 

.2  o 

in  ^ 


S5 


t-  d 


9s 

o  o 


u  a 

C  ma 
M         -2 

'-'  as 

H  O 

0  9'* 

M  0)   CO 

a  5" 


o    si 


r:Oa 


^«ti 


o  a  o 


S°a 

CO    B 
0)    O 


M 


=1  s 


n 


3° 


C 
C 

>^ 

^   s| 


o  <D 


oSi 


5  ° 


CHAPTER  IV. 
EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

GricTances  of  the  Tartars  Against  the  Chinese— Fabled  Origin  of  the  Tartar  Dynasty— 
Ching  Che-tung,  the  "Father  of  the  Pirates"— The  Terrible  Koxinga— Why  the  Cliinese 
Wear  "Pig- tails"— China's  Greatest  Ruler— Persecution  of  the  Priests— Early  European 
Intercourse — Marco  Polo  in  China— Arrival  of  the  Portuguese — Trade  with  the  Dutch — 
Great  Britain  in  the  Field— Frequent  Acts  of  Injustice  Interfere  with  Commerce— "The 
Gunner's  Case" — Arrival  of  Lord  Macartney. 

THE  Manchu  Tartar  Prince,  when  about  to  subjugate  China, 
wrote  down  seven  grievances,  or  causes  of  indignation,  as 
his  motives  for  undertaking  the  war,  and  spread  them  with 
great  solemnity  before  Heaven,  whose  aid  he  confidently 
invoked.  "The  first  crime  to  be  revenged,"  says  the  Tartar  mon- 
arch, is  the  commencement  of  hostilities  by  the  Chinese;  the 
second  crime  to  be  revenged,  is  the  violation  of  a  solemn  treaty 
not  to  pass  certain  boundaries;  for,  though  ratified  by  an  oath,  and 
the  conditions  thereof  engraven  on  stone,  to  the  effect  that  which- 
ever nation  transgressed  the  limits  should  be  destroyed,  Ming,  never- 
theless, crossed  the  frontier  with  troops  to  assist  my  foes;  the  third 
crime  to  be  revenged  is,  that  when  I,  agreeably  to  my  oath,  attacked 
him  for  committing  depredations  in  my  territory,  he  disregarded  the 
former  treaty,  complained  of  my  conduct,  put  to  death  my  envoy,  and 
slew  ten  of  my  subjects  whom  he  had  seized  on  the  borders ;  the  fourth 
crime  to  be  revenged  is  Ming's  having  assisted  the  Yehih,  and  caused 
my  daughter,  already  betrothed,  to  be  given  to  another  person  of  the 
Mung-koo  nation;  the  fifth  crime  to  be  revenged  is,  Ming's  having 
expelled  my  people  from  the  Chae-ho  hill  and  places  adjacent,  which 
were  for  many  generations  my  frontiers,  and  cultivated  by  my  sub- 
jects, who  were  still  not  allowed  to  reap  the  fruits  of  their  labor;  the 
sixth  crime  to  be  revenged  is,  the  insult  offered  to  me  in  a  letter  sent 
by  a  special  envoy  purposely  to  villify  me,  while  entire  credit  was 
given  to  the  statement  of  Yehih,  who  had  committed  sins  against 
Heaven;  the  seventh  crime  to  be  revenged  is,  the  conduct  of  Ming  in 
exciting  nations  whom  I  had  subdued  to  rebel  against  me,  and  aiding 
the  sovereign  to  regain  his  kingdom. 

81 


82  EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

"When  proximate  states  contend,  the  rule  is — obey  the  will  of 
Heaven  and  conquer — oppose  it  and  perish.  How  can  the  slain  live 
again?  Who  can  give  back  the  people  taken  captive?  Why  does 
Ming  cherish  resentment  against  me  alone?  Nations  have  united  their 
forces  against  me,  and  Heaven  has  overthrown  them,  while  my  coun- 
try has  flourished  like  the  spring.  Ming  assists  Yehih,  while  under 
severe  chastisement,  whereby  he  opposes  the  will  of  Heaven,  and 
confounds  right  and  wrong." 

To  revenge  himself  for  these  seven  injuries  was  the  avowed  pur- 
pose of  the  Manchu  prince  in  the  subjugation  of  China,  whose  success 
became  the  source  of  the  "Great  Pure"  dynasty.  Like  other  royal  fam- 
ilies, however,  the  Manchu  Tartar  is  not  satisfied  with  the  honors 
conceded  by  simple  facts,  but  must  seek  to  adorn  its  annals  with 
fiction,  and  to  dignify  its  descent  by  the  fable  of  a  supernatural  ori- 
gin. Traditional  genealogy  is  appealed  to,  no  less  by  him  who  glories 
in  the  acquisition  of  the  empire  by  the  sword  and  the  bow,  than  by 
the  lineal  descendants  of  Yaou  and  Shun.  Lakes  and  mountains, 
felicitous  birds  and  rivers,  divine  births,  and  supernatural  interposi- 
tion in  the  hour  of  danger,  are  the  extraordinary  characteristics  by 
which  the  future  glory  of  the  Tartar  dynasty  was  first  revealed. 

They  tell  us  that  in  remote  ages  three  heaven-born  virgins  dwelt 
beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Great  White  mountains,  and  that  while 
they  were  bathing  in  a  lake  which  reflected  in  its  bosom  the  snow-clad 
peaks  which  towered  above  it,  a  magpie  dropped  a  blood  red  fruit  on 
the  clothes  of  the  youngest.  This  the  maiden  instinctively  devoured, 
and  forthwith  conceived  and  bore  a  son  of  extraordinary^  form,  who 
could  speak  as  soon  as  he  was  born,  and  to  whom  it  was  announced: 
"Heaven  has  begotten  you  to  give  stability  to  disturbed  nations." 
When  his  mother  had  entered  the  icy  cave  of  the  dead,  he  placed 
himself,  it  is  said,  in  a  bark,  and  floated  down  the  stream  of  a  cer- 
tain river,  on  the  bank  of  which  he  at  length  framed  a  seat  of  willows 
and  sat  down. 

This  district  was  occupied  by  three  families  who  were  at  war  with 
each  other.  The  god-like  youth  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  one 
of  the  contending  chieftains,  who,  struck  with  his  wonderful  appear- 
ance, spoke  of  him  to  his  own  clan,  who  came  to  question  him  respect- 
ing his  origin.  On  hearing  him  declare  that  he  was  born  of  a  Celestial 
female,  and  was  ordained  by  Heaven  to  restore  them  to  a  tranquillity, 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  83 

they  all  exclaimed,  "Heaven  has  brought  forth  a  holy  one,"  and  at 
once  appointed  him  to  be  their  king.  The  town  of  0-to-le  (43°  35'  N. 
lat.  and  128°  E.  long.)  was  chosen  as  his  capital,  and  from  that  day 
his  people  waxed  fat,  and  at  length,  as  we  have  seen,  kicked  against 
their  oppressors,  the  Chinese. 

This  legion  confirms  the  general  belief  that  the  original  seat  of 
the  Manchiis  was  in  the  valley  of  the  Hurka,  a  river  which  flows  into 
the  Simgari  in  about  46°  20'  N.  lat,  and  129°  50'  E.  long.  Under  a 
succession  of  able  and  hardy  chiefs  they  added  land  to  land  and  tribe 
to  tribe,  until,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  we  find  them  able  to  cope 
with,  and  in  a  position  to  demand  favorable  terms  by  treaty  from, 
their  Chinese  neighbors.  As  they  became  more  powerful  their  com- 
plaints became  louder  against  acts  of  aggressive  oppression  which 
they  laid  at  the  door  of  the  Mings.  But  who  will  say  that  the  fault 
was  all  on  one  side?  Doubtless  the  Mings  tried  to  check  their  ambi- 
tion by  cruel  reprisals,  a  mistaken  policy  common  to  oppressors  who 
find  themselves  with  waning  i^owers  in  the  presence  of  growing  dis- 
content. 

But  if  we  are  to  square  the  account,  against  this  must  be  put  numer- 
ous Manchu  raids  into  Liao-tung,  entailing  loss  of  life  and  property  on 
the  subjects  of  China.  And  the  ready  rapidity  with  which  these  Man- 
churian  horsemen  swept  around  the  corner  of  the  Great  Wall  into 
China  proper  on  the  fatal  invitation  of  the  Chinese  general  shows  that 
they  were  neither  unwilling  nor  unaccustomed  to  wander  beyond  their 
own  frontiers. 

But  the  accession  to  the  throne  of  the  Emperor  Shun-che  did  not 
by  any  means  at  first  restore  peace  to  the  country.  In  Kiang-si,  Fu- 
kien,  Kuang-tung,  and  Kuang-si  the  adherents  of  the  Ming  dynasty  de- 
fended themselves  vigorously  but  unsuccessfully  against  the  invaders. 
Ching  Che-tun g,  "the  father  of  the  pirates,"  kept  up  a  predatory  war- 
fare against  them  on  the  coast.  This  famous  buccaneer  was  educate^d 
by  the  Koman  Catholic  fathers,  and  he  went  from  their  care  to  the 
flourishing  Portuguese  settlement  of  Macao,  about  forty  miles  from 
Canton.  The  moral  atmosphere  of  this  place  was  as  contaminating 
in  the  seventeenth  century  as  it  is  today.  The  young  disciple  went 
to  Japan  and  married  a  Japanese  as  a  preliminary  step  to  gaining  the 
confidence  of  a  wealthy  merchant  of  that  country,  by  whom  he  was 
intrusted  with  the  valuable  cargo  of  a  large  vessel  bound  for  China 


•84      EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  P0WER8. 

to  dispose  of  it  at  a  profit  at  Fu-chau.  Ching  Che-tung  did  so  dispose 
of  it.  Then  lie  invested  the  proceeds  in  the  equipment  of  certain  ves- 
sels for  piracy. 

He  applied  the  experience  of  life  he  had  gained  at  Macao  to  such 
advantage  that  his  first  venture  proved  a  great  success,  and  he  finally 
became  so  rich  and  poAverful  that  the  imperial  government  dared  not 
use  force  to  stop  his  career.  The  bribe  of  an  admiral's  rank,  however, 
proved  sufiicient  to  induce  him  to  cease  his  depredations,  and  an  invi- 
tation to  Peking,  which  he  was  so  foolish  or  overconfident  as  to  accept, 
placed  him  in  the  power  of  the  government.  He  was  made  a  state 
prisoner,  while  treated  with  all  consideration.  But  on  the  death  of 
the  emperor,  who  had  given  him  an  assurance  of  immunity,  he  was 
quietly  decapitated. 

Plis  son  escaped  and  became  known  as  the  Terrible  Koxinga,  the 
greatest  leader  of  piratical  mercenaries  of  the  period.  His  conduct 
twice  affected  the  fortunes  of  his  country,  while  his  depredations  were 
so  terrible  on  the  entire  coast  line  that  in  1663  the  reigning  emporer 
issued  an  edict  commanding  the  natives  of  the  littoral  provinces  to 
retire  four  leagues  inland,  an  edict  that  was  obeyed.  Koxinga  after 
this  threw  all  the  weight  of  his  followers  into  the  scale  on  the  side  of 
the  emperor.  He  fought  the  invading  Manchus.  He  behaved  with 
great  humanity  to  the  people  of  Canton,  affording  them  a  refuge  from 
massacre  on  board  his  vessels.  At  last  his  powder  became  so  formida- 
ble that  in  1665  the  Manchu  conquerors  called  in  the  Dutch  fleet  to 
aid  them  in  attacking  him.  The  combined  Manchu  and  Dutch  fleets 
gave  battle  in  his  stronghold  of  Amboy,  and  after  a  sanguinary  ac- 
tion Koxinga  was  defeated  with  terrible  loss.  He  then  retired  to 
Formosa,  and  was  proclaimed  king  of  that  country,  where  he  ruled 
until  the  reign  of  Kang-he,  when  he  resigned  in  favor  of  the  imperial 
government. 

Meanwhile  a  prince  of  the  house  of  Ming  was  proclaimed  emperor 
in  Kuang-si,  under  the  title  of  Yung-leih.  But  the  Tartars  having  re- 
duced the  provinces  of  Fuh-keen  and  Kiang-si,  and  having  taken  Can- 
ton after  a  siege  of  eight  months,  marched  against  and  so  completely 
routed  his  followers  that  he  was  compelled  to  fly  to  Pegu.  There  he 
remained  for  some  years  until,  believing  that  his  adherents  in  Yun- 
nan and  Kwei-chau  were  sufficiently  numerous  to  justify  his  raising 
his  standard  in  those  provinces,  he  crossed  the  frontier  and  advanced 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  85 

to  meet  the  imperial  forces.  On  tliis  as  on  tlie  former  occasion,  for- 
tune declared  against  him.  His  army  was  scattered  to  the  four  winds, 
and  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  put  to  death  by  strangulation. 

Gradually  opposition  to  the  new  regime  became  weaker  and  weaker, 
and  the  shaved  head  with  the  pig-tail,  the  symbol  of  Tartar  sover- 
eignty, became  more  and  more  universally  adopted.  Ama  >Vaug,  the 
uncle  of  Shun-che,  who  had  acted  as  regent  during  his  nephew's  minor- 
ity, died  in  1651,  and  the  emperor  then  assumed  the  government  of 
the  state.  Little  is  known  of  this  monarch.  lie  appears  to  have  taken 
a  great  interest  in  science,  and  to  have  patronized  Adam  Schaal,  a 
German  Jesuit,  who  was  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Peking.  It  was 
during  his  reign  (1656)  that  the  first  Russian  embassy  arrived  at  the 
capital,  but  as  the  envoy  declined  to  kowtow  before  the  emperor  he 
was  sent  back  without  having  been  admitted  to  an  audience.  After  an 
unquiet  reign  of  seventeen  years  Shun-che  was  gathered  to  his  fath- 
ers, and  Kang-he,  his  son,  reigned  in  his  stead. 

The  final  establishment  of  the  Manchu  Tartars  in  Oiina  is  doubt- 
less attributable,  in  no  small  measure,  to  the  personal  character  of 
this  monarch,  who  is  perhaps  the  greatest  ruler  that  ever  governed 
the  country,  and  who  had  the  singular  fortune  to  reign  for  sixty  years. 
By  his  hunting  excursions  beyond  the  Great  Wall,  when  he  really  pro- 
ceeded at  the  head  of  a  great  army,  he  kept  up  the  military  of  the 
Tartars;  while  at  the  same  time  his  vigilant  care  was  not  wanting  in 
the  South.  During  the  year  1689  he  proceeded  along  tire  grand  canal 
to  Nanking,  and  thence  to  the  famous  Qity  of  Suchau.  At  that  opulent 
and  luxurious  place  it  is  said  that  carpets  and  silk  stuffs  being  laid 
along  the  streets  by  the  inhabitants,  the  emperor  dismounted,  and 
made  his  train  do  the  same,  proceeding  thus  to  the  palace  on  foot,  in 
order  that  the  people's  property  might  not  be  injured. 

His  liberal  and  enlightened  policy  was  strikingly  displayed  on  two 
occasions  of  foreign  intercourse.  First,  in  the  boundary  and  commer- 
cial treaty  with  Russia,  Avhich  was  consequent  on  a  dispute  that  oc- 
curred at  the  frontier  station  of  Yacsa,  Pere  Gerbillon  was  sent  by 
Kang-he  to  assist  the  negotiation  as  translator,  the  monarch  thus 
giving  another  evidence  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  held  the  mission- 
aries then  at  his  court.  The  mission  proceeded  in  1688,  but  circum- 
stances prevented  its  completion  until  the  following  year;  for  the 
Eleuths  or  Kalmucs  being  then  at  war  with  the  Kalka  Tartars,  and 


86  EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

the  route  of  the  expedition  lying  along  the  country  of  the  latter,  it 
was  thought  prudent  to  return. 

The  second  instance,  is  that  embassy  in  1713  to  the  Khan  of  the 
Tourgouth  Tartars,  then  settled  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Caspian,  and 
up  to  that  time  the  most  remote  expedition  that  had  ever  been  under- 
taken from  China.  Kang-he  subsequently  gained  considerable  glory 
by  the  conquest  of  the  above  mentioned  Eleuths,  who  had  long  given 
great  trouble  in  the  regions  about  Tibet.  He  added  Tibet  to  the  empire, 
which  then  extended  from  the  Siberian  frontier  to  Cochin-China,  and 
from  the  China  sea  to  Turkestan.  Almost  the  only  national  misfor- 
tune of  any  moment  that  visited  China  under  this  ruler  was  an  earth- 
quake at  Peking,  in  which  400,000  people  are  said  to  have  perished. 

Kang-he  was  succeeded  by  Kung-ching,  who,  reaping  the  benefits 
of  his  father's  vigorous  administration,  enjoyed  a  peaceable  reign, 
though  a  short  one.  He  was  remarkable  for  little  else  than  his  vio- 
lent persecution  of  the  Catholic  priests,  wiio  it  must  be  confessed  gave 
cause  for  complaint,  by  their  imprudent  conduct,  and  their  persist- 
ence in  attempting  to  interfere  with  aifairs  of  state.  Kung-ching  died 
in  1735,  and  was  succeeded  to  the  throne  by  his  son  Keen-lung. 

Ambitious  and  warlike,  this  monarch  despised  the  conciliatory 
measures  by  which  his  father  had  maintained  peace  with  his  neigh- 
bors. On  but  a  slight  provocation,  he  marched  an  army  into  Hi,  which 
he  converted  into  a  Chinese  province,  and  he  aftei'wards  added  East- 
ern Turkestan  to  the  far-reaching  territories  of  China.  Twice  he  in- 
vaded Burmah,  and  once  he  penetrated  into  Cochin-China,  but  in  neither 
country  were  his  arms  successful.  He  is  accused  of  great  cruelty  to- 
wards his  subjects,  which  they  repaid  by  rebelling  against  him.  It 
was  during  his  reign  that  the  Mohometan  standard  was  first  raised 
In  Kansu.  But  the  Mussulmans  were  unable  to  stand  against  the  im- 
perial troops;  their  armies  were  dispersed;  ten  thousand  of  them  were 
exiled;  and  in  order  to  effectually  prevent  a  renewal  of  the  outbreak 
for  some  years,  a  decree  was  issued  that  every  Mohometan  in  Kansul) 
above  the  age  of  fifteen  should  be  put  to  death. 

Amidst  all  the  political  calls  upon  his  time  Keen-lung  still  found 
leisure  for  study.  He  wrote  incessantly,  both  poetry  and  prose,  and 
did  much  to  promote  the  cause  of  literature  by  collecting  libraries 
and  republishing  works  of  value.  His  campaigns  furnished  him  wath 
themes  for  his  verses,  and  in  the  summer  palace  was  found  a  hand- 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  87 

some  manuscript  copy  of  a  laudatory  poem  he  composed  on  the  occa- 
sion of  his  war  against  the  Gurkhas.  This  was  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  his  military  undertakings.  His  generals  marched  70,000 
men  into  Nepaul  to  within  sixty  miles  of  the  British  frontiers,  and 
having  subjugated  the  Gurkhas  they  received  the  submission  of  the 
Xepaulese,  and  acquired  an  additional  hold  over  Tibet.  In  other  direc- 
tions his  arms  were  not  so  successful.  We  find  no  poem  commemor- 
ating the  campaign  against  the  rebellious  Formosans,  nor  lament  over 
the  loss  of  100,000  men  in  that  island. 

The  last  years  of  his  reign  were  disturbed  by  outbreaks  among  the 
Meaou-tsze  or  hill  tribes,  living  in  the  mountains  in  the  provinces  of 
Kuai-chow  and  Kuang-si.  Keen-lung  boasted  that  they  were  subdued; 
but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  this  hardy  people,  intrenched  in 
the  natural  fortifications  of  their  rude  and  precipitous  mountains, 
lost  little  of  the  real  independence  that  they  had  enjoyed  for  ages,  and 
their  continued  acts  of  hostility  for  many  years  after  gave  serious 
alarm  and  trouble  to  the  Peking  government.  Keen-lung,  like  his 
great  predecessor  Kang-he,  had  the  unusual  fortune  to  reign  for  sixty 
years,  and  in  1795  he  abdicated  in  favor  of  his  fifteenth  son,  who  adoi)ted 
the  title  of  Kea-king  as  the  style  of  his  reign. 

The  first  Pope  who  appears  to  have  sent  a  mission  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Tartars  or  Chinese  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  was  Inno- 
cent IV.  He  despatched  Giovanni  Carpini,  a  monk,  through  Russia, 
in  the  year  124G,  to  Baatu  Khan,  on  the  banks  of  the  Volga, 
from  whence  he  was  conducted  to  the  Mongol  Tartar  court, 
just  as  the  Great  Khan  was  about  to  be  installed.  Carpini  was 
astonished  by  the  display  of  immense  treasures,  and  having  been 
kindly  treated,  was  sent  back  with  a  friendly  letter.  In  1253  Rubru- 
quis  was  in  a  like  manner  despatched  by  St.  Louis,  during  his  crusade 
to  the  Holy  Land,  with  directions  to  procure  the  friendship  of  the 
Mongols.  He  reached  at  length  the  court  of  the  Great  Khan,  and 
returned  with  glowing  accounts  of  tlie  wonders  of  the  country. 

During  the  reign  of  the  Mongol  conqueror  of  China,  Nicholas  and 
Matthew  Polo,  two  noble  Venetians  who  reached  his  court,  were  ex- 
tremely well  received,  and  on  their  departure  were  invited  to  return. 
In  1274  they  accordingly  came  back,  bearing  letters  from  Pope  Greg- 
ory X.,  and  accompanied  by  young  Marco,  son  to  one  of  them.  The 
youth,  by  his  talents  and  good  conduct,  became  a  great  favorite  at 


88  EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

the  court,  and  was  employed  there  for  seventeen  years,  after  which 
he  with  some  difficulty  obtained  permission  to  return  to  his  own  coun- 
try. The  accounts  which  he  gave  at  Venice  of  the  vast  wealth  and  re- 
sources of  the  Chinese  empire  appeared  so  incredible  to-  Europeans  in 
those  days,  that  his  tale  was  most  undeservedly  discredited.  Another 
account  of  China  was  sometime  afterwards  written  by  Hayton,  an  Ar- 
menian, and  translated  into  Latin.  According  to  him,  the  Chinese 
considered  the  rest  of  the  world  blind,  or  seeing  with  only  one  eye; 
while  they  themselves  alone  were  blessed  with  a  perfect  vision. 

John  D.  Corvino,  despatched  to  Asia  in  1288  by  Pope  Nicholas  IV., 
was  the  first  successful  promoter  of  the  Eoman  Catholic  faith  in  China; 
he  arrived  at  Cambalu  (as  Peking  was  called  by  the  Tartars)  and  met 
Avith  a  kind  reception  from  the  emperor.  He  was  allowed  to  build  a 
church,  furnished  with  a  steeple  and  bells,  and  is  said  to  have  bap- 
tized some  thousands  of  converts,  as  well  as  to  have  instructed  num- 
bers of  children  in  the  Latin  language.  The  news  of  his  progress 
reached  Clement  V.  on  his  accession  to  the  popedom,  and  he  was  im- 
mediately appointed  Bishop  of  Cambalu,  with  a  numerous  body  of 
priests,  who  were  despatched  to  join  him  in  his  labors.  On  the  death 
of  Corvino,  however,  it  is  probable  that  no  successor  possessed  of  the 
same  enterprise  and  industry  was  ready  to  succeed  him;  for  the  es- 
tablishment which  he  had  founded  appears  to  have  ceased,  or  at  least 
sunk  into  insignificance. 

Abundant  evidence  is  afforded  by  Chinese  records^  that  a  much 
more  liberal  as  well  as  enterprising  disposition  once  existed  in  respect 
to  foreign  intercourse  than  prevails  at  present.  It  was  only  on  the 
conquest  of  the  empire  by  the  Manchus  that  the  bitter  hatred  that 
these  barbarians  have  shown  to  progress  and  Western  civilization 
placed  every  obstacle  possible  in  the  way  of  commercial  intercourse 
with  other  nations.  Even  before  the  seventh  century  it  appears  from 
native  books  that  missions  were  sent  from  China  to  the  surrounding 
peoples,  with  a  view  to  inviting  mutual  intercourse.  The  benefits  of 
industry  and  trade  have  always  been  extolled  by  the  Chinese;  the 
contempt,  therefore,  with  which  the  Tartar  government  affects  to  treat 
foreign  commerce  must  be  referred  entirely  to  the  fears  which  it  en- 
tertains regarding  the  influence  of  increased  knowledge  on  the  sta- 
bilitv  of  its  dominion. 


.2  a)   c8  O   to"  O 

ii  m  t.  a  t- 

Qi^°-Sc 

aS  c  S  H 

ogsSoS 

S«-S5^ 

CO         ^^  — 

(0-13  O  <u  c8  3 

^  0  a'O'^ii 

to  fc.       w  Ji-O 

.23  ■^  ts  fc.  o 

03  _r      CS  ts  o 

=aae^a 

a,«2o|M 

^  -M  o  <u  ja  ■" 

.Q--;  M  0)  **  cu 

ea  «  <u  c    .u 

-fcj              tn            .—    O 

g  CO  a>  o  * 
iSS  ,„-«  ^o; 

.  .  *  -^      —  fl 

o  "  5  t;  «-° 

» 

-=^-g=i 

M 

0)  o  a  ra-ti  ., 

0 

M 
M 

.S      P  »  a  "O 

% 

2  t.i2  O  m  3 

a  j2      y  —  to 

0 

*^  "S  a  to 'S,  a 

o  o  B  a  ^'-' 

o  330  (u 

m  to  CO  Zi       a 

h-l 

a  ■"■  _^  X   .0) 

^ 

04.^ "S  '"■^■° 

M 

I*  S  •-  "o  a  ^ 

o 

< 

•«i3  «  a  0  0, 
■V  a  cj  =3  "  ja 

1              «-^ 

a  »  „  to  to  ti 

0 

0 

g  _j  4)  ^  0  i^ 

IliisI 

a  •■>-'     to  a  a 

-0  .'S  sS 

=j     0 

0   m  -^         OS 

5l*o^§ 

0  0)  rf  >>M 

«i     Pi  Sh  2 

_~  <u  0  to 

_  a  c  m      — 

C— M  a,  V 

'~  „.  r'Ofi^ 

.S|£o2 

Sto  a5*-'S 
to  a.-*^— a; 

0  -"  a  es  .S    - 

—      t.  a  t. 

ja  5  ■«  S      S  a 

=  ""o|.S     - 

cs^  B,o  a-o  0) 

o  a-=o  "g-" 
XI     »  "  t-  5 


Pawnbbokek's  Shop,  Cantox 

The  pawnbrokers  of  China  are,  as  a  rule,  men  of  great  wealth.  It  is  said  in  the  United  States  that 
drink  and  gambling  send  more  people  to  the  pawnshops  than  all  other  causes.  Opium  and  gambling, 
in  China  are  the  two  great  reasons  for  the  enormous  pawnbrokerage  business  done  in  the  Chinese  Empire. 


ni  <i> 

X 

w  a; 

a  <D 
°'B. 

MHO 


O 

H 
'A 
< 

H 
< 

If) 
Q 
<^ 

o 
o 

o 

H 


W 


(5  a; 


So, 


3  OJ 


O    QJ 


w 

W    o 

3  ^ 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  93 

The  Portuguese  made  their  first  appearance  at  Canton  in  1516. 
Their  early  conduct  was  not  calculated  to  impress  the  Chinese  with  a 
favorable  idea  of  Europeans,  and  when,  in  the  course  of  time,  they 
came  to  be  competitors  with  the  Dutch  and  the  English,  the  contests 
of  commercial  avarice  tended  to  place  them  all  in  a  still  worse  point 
of  view.  To  this  day  the  character  of  Europeans  and  Americans  alike 
is  represented  as  that  of  a  race  of  men  intent  alone  on  the  gains  of 
commercial  traffic,  and  regardless  altogether  of  the  means  of  attain- 
ment. 

The  first  places  of  resort  to  the  Portuguese  were  the  islands  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Canton  river.  A  vessel  despatched  by  Alfonso  Albu- 
querque, the  captain-general  of  Malacca,  reached  one  of  these,  under 
the  command  of  Perestrello,  and,  as  his  voyage  proved  very  success- 
ful, it  had  the  effect  of  engaging  others  in  similar  enterprises.  Being 
distinguished  as  the  first  person  who  ever  conducted  a  ship  to  China 
under  a  European  flag,  he  was  followed  in  the  ensuing  year  by  a  fleet 
of  eight  vessels,  under  the  command  of  Perez  de  Andrade,  who,  on  reach- 
ing the  coast,  was  surrounded  by  junks  of  war,  and  his  movements 
watched  with  suspicion.  He  was,  however,  allowed  to  proceed  with 
two  of  his  vessels  to  Canton;  and,  while  successfully  negotiating  for 
trade,  received  accounts  that  the  remainder  of  his  fleet  had  been  at- 
tacked by  pirates.  Some  of  his  vessels  returned  with  cargoes  to  Ma- 
lacca; the  remainder  sailed  in  company  with  some  junks,  belonging 
to  the  Lew-chew  islands,  for  the  province  of  Fokien  on  the  east  coast, 
and  succeeded  in  establishing  a  colony  at  Ningpo. 

The  Portuguese  subsequently  brought  their  families  to  that  port, 
carrying  on  a  profitable  trade  with  other  parts  of  China,  as  well  as 
with  Japan.  But  in  the  year  1545  the  provincial  government,  provoked 
by  their  ill- conduct,  expelled  them  from  the  place;  and  thus  was  lost 
to  them  an  establishment  on  the  continent  of  Cliina,  in  one  of  those 
provinces  of  the  empire  best  adapted  to  European  trade. 

The  first  Portuguese  embassy,  and  of  course  the  first  of  any  Euro- 
pean power  by  sea,  to  Peking  took  place  as  early  as  1520,  in  the  person 
of  Thomas  Pirez,  the  object  being  to  establish  a  factory  at  Canton,  as 
well  as  at  Macao.  Advices,  however,  had  preceded  him  of  the  ill-con- 
duct and  violence  of  the  adventurers  of  his  nationality;  and  after  a 
course  of  humiliation,  the  unfortunate  Pirez  was  sent  back  under  cus- 
tody to  Canton,  the  provincial  government  of  which  place  thus  early 


94  EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

showed  its  jealousy  of  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  strangers  to  com- 
municate with  the  court.  Pirez,  on  his  arrival,  was  robbed  of  his 
property,  thrown  into  prison,  and  ultimately,  it  is  supposed,  put  to 
death. 

The  Dutch  met  with  little  success  in  their  attempts  to  open  a  trade 
with  China  until  1624,  when,  by  means  of  assistance  from  Batavia, 
they  w^ere  enabled  to  form  a  settlement  on  the  west  side  of  Formosa, 
opposite  to  the  Chinese  coast.  The  vicinity  of  this  to  Manila  and  Macao 
excited  the  jealousy  of  the  Spaniards  and  the  Portuguese,  as  well  as 
of  the  Chinese  government.  Liberty  of  trade  with  that  empire  was 
at  first  denied  them;  but  the  Dutch  annoyed  the  coast  with  their  ships, 
until  it  was  agreed  that  on  their  evacuating  the  Pescadores,  some 
small  islands  beween  the  main  land  and  Formosa,  and  confining  them- 
selves to  the  latter,  liberty  of  commerce  would  be  granted  them.  A 
fort  was  built  at  the  principal  harbor,  on  the  south-west  side  of  the 
island,  named  Fort  Zeland,  and  measures  were  taken  to  civilize  and 
reclaim  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  the  country.  In  the  meantime 
Peking  fell  before  the  Manchu  Tartars,  and  all  the  northern  provinces, 
with  most  of  the  southern,  acknowledged  in  a  short  time  the  foreign 
domination. 

Many  thousands  of  Chinese  families  emigrated  from  their  country  in 
the  course  of  the  struggle,  and  no  less  than  25,000  are  said  to  have 
transported  themselves  to  Formosa.  This  emigration  tended  greatly 
to  the  improvement  of  that  country,  and  was  at  first  encouraged  by 
the  Dutch;  but  their  fears  were  alarmed  by  the  increasing  numbers 
when  they  could  no  longer  prevent  them;  and  the  influx  of  Chinese  was 
a  principal  cause  of  the  final  expulsion  of  the  Dutch  from  that  settle- 
ment. 

The  intercourse  of  the  Russians  with  China  through  Siberia  not 
being  of  a  maritime  character,  and  confined  altogether  to  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  empire,  has  differed  altogether  from  that  of  the  other 
European  nations,  and  we  have  not  space  to  enter  into  the  details  of  its 
history.  One  attempt  was  made  by  them  in  1806  to  communicate  with 
Canton  by  sea,  but  an  edict  was  then  issued  forbidding  Russia  any 
trade  except  by  land,  at  the  frontier  station  established  by  mutual 
treaties,  at  Kiakhta  in  Tartary.  The  most  celebrated  early  embassies 
from  Russia  overland  were  those  of  Isbrand  Ides  in  1693;  and  of  Is- 
maloff,  sent  by  Peter  the  Great  in  1719.    The  ambassador  in  both  in- 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  95 

stances  was  treated  with  a  degree  of  respect  unusual  at  Peking,  showing 
the  estimation  in  which  the  power  of  Russia  was  held  there.  Catherine 
I.,  in  1727,  despatched  Count  Vladislavitch  to  China,  as  ambassador- 
extraordinary,  and  by  him  a  treaty  was  concluded  by  which  the  Rus- 
sians were  to  have  a  church  at  Peking,  with  an  establishment  of  priests; 
and  four  young  Russians  were  to  remain  at  the  residence  of  the  em- 
bassy, for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  language,  and  serving  as  inter- 
preters between  the  two  nations. 

The  first  attempt  to  establish  intercourse  between  China  and  Great 
Britain  seems  to  have  been  as  far  back  as  1596,  when  three  ships  were 
fitted  out  in  charge  of  Benjamin  Wood,  bearing  letters  from  Queen  Eliz- 
abeth to  the  emperor;  but  the  ships  were  lost  on  the  way  out,  and  no 
immediate  renewal  of  the  project  appears  to  have  taken  place.  The 
oldest  record  of  the  company  at  Canton  is  dated  April  6, 1637,  and  com- 
mences thus: 

"In  the  latitude  of  6-|  degrees,  we  took  leave  of  the  ship  Planter, 
whom  God,  we  hope,  hath  conducted  in  safety.  Upon  her  was  laden  as 
per  invoice  appeareth,"  etc.  This  was  one  of  a  fleet  of  five  ships,  of 
which  the  remaining  four,  the  Dragon,  Sun,  Catherine  and  Ann,  pro- 
ceeded on  their  way  to  China,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Weddel, 
and  arrived  oif  Macao  on  the  28th  of  May.  Here  the  Portuguese  did  all 
in  their  power  to  misrepresent  them  to  the  Chinese,  and  prevent  the 
chance  of  trade.  After  several  fruitless  attempts  to  establish  a  peaceful 
arrangement,  and  some  vain  endeavors  to  depute  persons  from  the  fleet 
to  open  a  negotiation  at  Canton,  it  was  resolved  that  all  the  ships  should 
sail  up  the  river.  They  arrived  in  a  few  days  at  the  river's  mouth  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  forts,  "and  being  now  furnished  with  some  slender 
interpreters,  they  soon  had  speech  with  divers  mandarines  in  the  king's 
jounkes,  to  whom  the  cause  of  their  arrival  was  declared,  viz.,  to  enter- 
tain peace  and  amity  with  them,  to  traffic  freely  as  the  Portugalls  did, 
and  to  be  forthwith  supplied,  for  their  monies,  with  provisions  for 
their  ships;  all  which  those  mandarines  promised  to  solicit  with  the 
prime  men  resident  at  Canton ;  and  in  the  meantime  desired  an  expecta- 
tion of  six  days,  which  w^ere  granted;  and  the  English  ships  rode  with 
white  ensigns  on  the  poop;  but  their  perfidious  friends,  the  Portugalls, 
had  in  all  that  time,  since  the  return  of  the  pinnace,  so  beslandered 
them  to  the  Chinese,  reporting  them  to  be  rogues,  thieves,  beggars,  and 
what  not,  that  they  became  jealous  of  the  good  meaning  of  the  English; 


96  EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

insomuch  that,  in  the  night-time,  they  put  forty-six  of  iron  cast  ordnance 
into  the  fort  lying  close  to  the  brink  of  the  river,  each  piece  being  be- 
tween six  and  seven  hundred  weight,  and  well  proportioned;  and  after 
the  end  of  four  days,  having,  as  they  thought,  sufficiently  fortified 
themselves,  they  discharged  divers  shot,  though  without  hurt,  upon 
one  of  the  barges  passing  by  them  to  find  a  convenient  watering-place. 

"Herewith  the  whole  fieet  being  instantly  incensed,  did,  on  the 
sudden,  display  their  bloody  ensigns;  and,  weighing  their  anchors,  fell 
up  with  tlie  flood,  and  berthed  themselves  before  the  castle,  from 
whence  came  many  shot,  yet  not  any  that  touched  so  much  as  hull  or 
rope;  whereupon,  not  being  able  to  endure  their  bravadoes  any  longer, 
each  ship  began  to  play  furiously  upon  them  their  broadsides;  and, 
after  two  or  three  hours,  perceiving  their  cowardly  fainting,  the  boats 
were  landed  with  about  100  men;  which  sight  occasioned  them,  with 
great  distractions,  instantly  to  abandon  the  castle  and  fly;  the  boat's 
crews,  in  the  meantime,  without  let  entering  the  same,  and  displaying 
his  Majesty's  colors  of  Great  Britain  upon  the  walls,  having  the  same 
night  put  aboard  all  their  ordnance,  fired  the  council-house,  and  demol- 
ished what  they  could. 

"The  boats  of  the  fleet  also  seized  a  jounke,  laden  with  boards  and 
timber,  and  another  with  salt.  Another  vessel  of  small  moment  was 
surprised,  by  whose  boat  a  letter  was  sent  to  the  chief  mandarines  at 
Canton,  expostulating  their  breach  of  truce,  excusing  the  assailing  of 
the  castle,  and  withal  in  fair  terms  requiring  the  liberty  of  trade.  This 
letter  it  seems  was  delivered ;  for,  the  next  day,  a  mandarine  of  no  great 
note,  sometime  a  Portugal  Christian,  called  Paulo  Noretty,  came 
towards  the  ships  in  a  small  boat  with  a  white  flag,  to  whom  the  English, 
having  laid  open  the  injuries  received,  and  the  sincere  intent  they  had 
to  establish  fair  trade  and  commerce,  and  were  no  way  Avilling  (but 
in  their  own  defence)  to  oppose  the  China  nation,  presented  certain  gifts, 
and  dismissed  him  to  his  masters,  who  were  some  of  the  chief  man- 
darines, riding  about  a  point  of  land  not  far  from  the  ships,  who,  being 
by  him  duly  informed  thereof,  returned  him  again  the  same  night  with 
a  small  jounke,  and  full  authority  to  carry  up  such  as  should  be  ap- 
pointed to  Canton,  tliere  to  tender  a  petition,  and  to  conclude  further 
upon  the  manner  of  their  future  proceedings."  The  result  was  that 
the  blame  of  the  skirmish  was  laid  by  the  mandarines  on  the  slanders 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  97 

of  the  Portuguese,  and  the  captured  guns  being  restored,  the  ships  were 
supplied  with  cargoes. 

No  further  trade,  however,  ensued  for  many  years,  and  it  was  not 
until  1664  that  any  attempt  was  made  to  establish  trade  at  Canton,  but 
the  Chinese  port  charges  were  so  high,  2,000  taels  ou  each  ship,  that 
the  attempt  was  abandoned.  In  1689  the  chief  commissioner  of  cus- 
toms at  this  place  demanded  2,484  taels  for  the  measurage  (or  port 
charge)  of  the  ship  Defence,  but  on  finding  that  it  would  not  be  paid, 
he  took  1,500  taels.  In  the  meanwhile  one  of  the  crew  of  the  Defence 
had  killed  a  Chinese,  and  a  tumult  ensued,  in  which  several  of  the  sea- 
men and  the  surgeon  of  the  ship  lost  their  lives.  Notwithstanding  this, 
the  mandarin  declared  that  unless  5,000  taels  were  paid,  the  Defence 
would  not  be  allowed  to  sail;  but  on  their  refusal  of  an  offer  of  2,000, 
the  captain  quitted  Canton,  and  took  his  vessel  out  of  the  river. 

Trade  continued  at  Canton  with  frequent  interruptions.  In  1734 
only  one  ship,  the  Harrison,  was  sent  to  that  port,  simply  on  account 
of  the  high  duties  and  extortions.  An  attempt,  however,  was  made 
about  that  time  by  the  ship  Grafton  to  land  at  Amoy.  The  history 
of  the  negotiations  at  that  place  affords  a  notable  specimen  of  Chinese 
rapacity  and  faithlessness.  After  spending  months  in  the  fruitless 
endeavor  to  obtain  reasonable  terms  from  the  mandarins,  the  captain 
was  compelled  at  length  to  take  his  departure  for  Canton,  principally 
because  he  could  not  get  liberty  to  trade  with  any  persons  but  those 
who  were  leagued  with  the  mandarins,  one  of  whom  was  always  sta- 
tioned over  him  in  the  house  he  had  rented  on  shore.  In  addition  to 
the  regular  duties,  which  were  very  high,  there  was  an  extra  charge 
of  twenty  per  cent  for  the  commissioner  of  customs. 

In  1736  the  ship  Normanton  proceeded  to  Ningpo,  and  strenuous 
efforts  were  made  to  open  a  trade  there,  but  they  found  the  mandarins 
very  imperious  and  obstinate,  insisting,  as  a  necessary  preliminary,  on 
the  surrender  of  their  arms  and  ammunition.  There  moreover  appeared 
few  inducements  to  trade;  for  the  record  observes,  "it  seems  rather  to 
have  been  than  to  be  a  place  of  great  commerce."  It  is  probable  that 
this,  with  other  parts  of  China,  had  suffered  by  the  Tartar  invasion. 
After  wasting  nearly  two  months  in  fruitless  attempt  to  procure  fair 
trade,  the  Normanton  sailed  for  Canton.  The  records  show  that  in 
that  year  the  total  number  of  European  ships  at  the  port  of  Canton 
was  ten,  viz.,  four  English,  two  French,  two  Dutch,  one  Dane,  and  one 
Swede. 


98      EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

For  years  the  ill  will  generated  on  both  sides  by  the  insolence  of 
the  Chinese,  and  the  consequences  resulting  from  it,  had  the  effect  of 
constantly  embroiling  the  English  and  the  natives,  and  serious  affrays 
were  common  occurrences.  In  1772  the  Lord  Camden  was  detained  for 
nearly  a  month  at  Canton  in  consequence  of  a  tumult  in  which  several 
Europeans  and  Chinese  were  badly  injured;  the  wounded  men  were 
all  conveyed  into  the  factory,  where  two  mandarins  examined  them. 
Permission  was  finally  given  the  ship  for  her  sailing,  on  condition  that 
the  person  who  originated  the  mischief  was  detained  in  confinement; 
but  the  recovery  of  all  the  wounded  soon  after  put  an  end  to  the  affair. 

In  the  following  year  a  most  atrocious  act  of  sanguinary  injustice 
occurred  at  Macao,  stamping  indelible  disgrace  on  the  Portuguese  of 
that  place.  A  Chinaman  had  lost  his  life,  and  some  ungrounded  accu- 
sation having  implicated  an  Englishman  named  Francis  Scott,  the 
local  authority  caused  him  to  be  apprehended  and  confined.  The  case 
was  tried  in  the  Portuguese  court,  the  accused  examined,  and  deposi- 
tions of  witnesses  taken;  but  the  slightest  trace  of  guilt  could  not  be 
attached  to  the  prisoner.  The  mandarins,  however,  obstinately  claimed 
him,  and  threatened  the  town  in  case  he  was  not  delivered.  To  bring 
this  perplexity  to  a  close,  a  general  meeting  or  council  was  convened, 
and  a  member  of  the  Macao  senate  argued,  "it  is  unjustifiable  to  consent 
to  the  sacrifice  of  an  innocent  man;  and  as  the  most  accurate  inquiry 
proves  that  the  Englishman  is  not  guilty,  our  reasons  for  not  surrender- 
ing him  should  be  submitted  to  the  mandarins,  and  persevered  in 
until  we  shall  have  succeeded  in  saving  him  from  an  ignominious 
death." 

The  vicar-general,  however,  named  Francisco  Vaz,  argued  in  the 
following  singular  manner:  "Moralists  decide  that  when  a  tyrant  de- 
mands even  an  innocent  person,  with  menaces  of  ruin  to  the  community 
if  refused,  the  whole  number  may  call  on  any  individual  to  deliver 
himself  up  for  the  public  good,  which  is  of  more  worth  than  the  life  of 
an  individual.  Should  he  refuse  to  obey,  he  is  not  innocent,  he  is  a 
criminal."  Another  Portuguese  observed,  with  still  less  ceremony, 
"The  mandarins  are  forcing  away  the  Chinese  dealers  determined  to 
starve  us;  therefore  we  had  better  surrender  the  Englishman."  The 
plurality  of  votes  decided  that  Scott  should  be  handed  over,  and  the 
Chinese  put  him  to  death. 

Among  the  unhappy  cases  which  have  arisen  from  the  sanguinary 


EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  99 

practice  of  the  Canton  government  in  the  instances  of  homocides, 
whether  accidental  or  otherwise,  when  committed  by  Europeans,  the 
most  remarkable  of  early  times,  perhaps,  is  that  alluded  to  under  the 
name  of  the  "gunner's  case,"  in  1784.  On  the  24th  of  November,  in  that 
year,  information  reached  Canton  that  a  chop  boat,  alongside  the  Lady 
Hughes,  country  ship,  being  in  the  way  of  a  gun  fired  saluting,  three 
Chinese  had  been  badly  injured.  On  the  following  day  it  was  learned 
that  one  had  died;  and  the  gunner,  though  innocent  of  any  bad  intent, 
and  acting  as  he  did  in  obedience  to  orders,  absconded  from  fear  of  the 
indiscriminating  cruelty  of  the  Chinese.  A  weiyuen,  or  deputed  man- 
darin, soon  waited  on  the  chief  of  the  factory,  Mr.  Pigou,  and  with  the 
interpretation  of  the  hong  merchants  required  that  the  man  should 
be  submitted  to  examination,  admitting,  at  the  same  time,  that  his  act 
had  apparently  proceeded  from  mere  accident. 

The  mandarin  was  informed  that  there  appeared  no  objection  to  the 
man's  examination,  provided  that  it  took  place  at  the  factory.  Two 
days  after,  the  weiyuen  repeated  his  visit,  accompanied  by  Ponkhequa, 
hong  merchant,  with  the  same  demands.  He  was  informed  that  the 
Lady  Hughes,  being  a  private  ship,  was  not  in  the  same  degree  under 
the  control  of  the  chief  as  a  vessel  belonging  to  the  company;  but  that, 
if  they  would  be  satisfied  with  an  examination  in  the  factory,  every 
persuasion  would  be  used  to  induce  the  supercargo  of  the  ship,  Mr. 
Smith,  to  produce  the  man.  They  finally  assented  to  this,  but  events 
soon  proved  that  this  was  merely  to  lull  suspicion,  for  early  the  next 
morning  it  was  found  that  Mr.  Smith  had  been  decoyed  from  his  factory 
by  a  pretended  message  from  Ponkhequa,  and  conveyed  into  the  city 
by  force.  Meanwhile  the  avenues  leading  to  the  city  had  been  barri- 
caded, the  merchants  and  linguists  had  fled  and  communication  with 
the  city  was  suspended. 

The  heads  of  all  the  foreign  factories,  justly  considering  this  as  a 
very  threatening  proceeding  to  the  whole  European  community,  united 
in  a  resolution  to  order  up  the  boats  of  the  several  ships  manned  and 
armed,  both  as  a  security,  and  to  manifest  in  the  strongest  manner 
the  light  in  which  they  viewed  the  acts  of  the  mandarins.  Two  English 
boats  were  dispatched  to  Whampoa  to  carry  this  into  effect.  The  watch- 
ful Chinese  now  endeavored  to  quiet  them  by  a  message  from  the 
fooyuen,  to  the  purport  that  they  should  not  be  alarmed  by  the  seizure 
of  the  Lady  Hughes'  supercargo,  as  the  intention  was  merely  to  ask  him 


100  EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS. 

a  few  questions  and  send  him  back  again.  The  greater  number  of  ships' 
boats  reached  Canton,  although  attempts  were  made  to  prevent  them, 
by  firing  from  the  junks  and  forts  in  the  river,  and  notwithstanding 
their  having  been  ordered  to  use  no  arms  in  their  own  defence. 

A  very  bombastic  document  was  received  from  the  fooyuen,  threat- 
ening destruction  if  any  opposition  were  made,  and  a  show  of  force  at 
the  same  time  assembled  in  the  river  before  the  factories.  On  the  28th 
the  foreigners  all  joined  in  an  address  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Smith,  and  in 
the  evening  the  fooyuen  desired  to  see  a  deputation  from  the  factory 
of  the  several  nations.  These  reported  that  "his  behavior  was  much 
agitated,  and  it  was  evident  he  would  be  glad  to  get  handsomely  out 
of  the  business."  The  Chinese  were,  in  fact,  frightened  at  their  own 
boldness,  and  a  little  resolution  might  have  saved  a  life. 

A  linguist  soon  arrived  at  the  factory,  bringing  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Smith  to  the  captain  of  the  ship,  desiring  he  would  send  up  the  gunner, 
or  some  other  person,  to  be  tried  by  the  mandarins.  On  the  30th,  the 
unfortunate  gunner,  an  old  man,  was  brought  to  Canton,  and  sent  into 
the  city,  with  an  address,  "signed  by  the  English  council,  and  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  foreign  nations,"  in  his  favor.  He  was  received  by  a 
mandarin  of  superior  rank  who  verbally  stated  that  no  apprehensions 
need  be  entertained  as  to  his  life,  and  that  as  soon  as  the  emperor's 
answer  had  been  obtained  he  should  be  restored.  In  about  an  hour 
after,  Mr.  Smith  returned  to  his  factory,  stating  that  he  had  been  very 
civilly  treated.  On  the  8th  of  January  following,  the  unhappy  gunner 
was  put  to  death  by  strangulation. 

The  many  acts  of  gross  injustice,  both  to  the  persons  of  British  sub- 
jects, and  in  reference  to  the  exactions  demanded  from  the  commercial 
interests,  finally  became  so  notorious  that  the  English  government  at 
length  realized  the  necessity  of  sending  an  embassy  to  the  court  of 
Peking.  In  1788  Colonel  Cathcart  was  sent  in  the  Vestal  frigate  as  an 
ambassador  to  China.  His  death  on  the  passage  out,  in  the  Straits  of 
Sunda,  put  a  stop  to  the  mission  for  a  time,  but  in  1792  the  project  was 
renewed  on  a  larger  scale. 

In  the  month  of  January  in  that  year,  Mr.  Dundas  set  on  foot  the 
proposal  of  a  Chinese  embassy,  grounded  on  the  consideration  that  the 
English  trade  having  gradually  increased  until  its  actual  amount  ex- 
ceeded that  of  all  other  nations;  to  which  it  was  added  that  the  inter- 
course of  almost  every  other  country  with  that  empire  had  been  attended 


'A  5 

W  5 

.  o 

0  ^ 

W  £ 

xn  o 


«1  -s 


0 

>> 

/^ 

0« 

B 

« 

t^ 

W 

3 

Ph 

D- 

bi 

"/< 

<U 

w 

a 

H 

Rja 

<t! 

?i1i 

0 

a 

w 

■St 

ho 
V  o. 

H 

sa 

■o^ 


o>o 

.n 

a> 

■a 

ra 

cd 

a> 

o 

a 

01 

-*-' 

a 

u 

as 

H 

J3 

<u 

o 

EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  EUROPEAN  POWERS.  103 

with  special  missions  to  Peking.  It  was  hoped  that  such  a  measure 
might  relax  the  various  trammels  by  which  the  commerce  with  China 
was  shackled,  relieve  it  from  some  of  its  exactions,  and  place  British 
subjects  at  Canton  on  a  footing  of  greater  respectability,  as  well  as 
security  in  relation  to  the  local  government. 

Lord  Macartney  accordingly  proceeded  from  England  in  the  Lion, 
a  sixty-four  gun  ship,  in  September,  1792,  accompanied  by  Sir  George 
Leonard  Staunton,  as  secretary  of  legation.  One  of  the  definite  objects 
of  this  mission  was  to  obtain,  if  possible,  the  permission  of  the  emperor 
to  trade  at  Ningpo,  Chusan,  Tien-tsin,  and  other  places  besides  Canton. 
All  discussions  upon  these  points,  and  indeed  virtually  every  matter  of 
business,  were  studiously  avoided  by  the  Chinese  ministers  and  man- 
darins, during  the  residence  of  the  embassy  at  Peking;  but,  in  his  letter 
to  the  king  of  England,  the  emperor  did  not  omit  to  state  distinctly  that 
British  commerce  must  be  strictly  limited  to  the  port  of  Canton.  "You 
will  not  be  able  to  complain,"  he  adds,  "that  I  have  not  clearly  fore- 
warned you.  Let  us  therefore  live  in  peace  and  friendship,  and  do  not 
make  light  of  my  words." 

While  the  objects  sought  by  this  mission  were  not  secured,  it  had 
its  effect  in  doing  much  to  secure  the  good  will  of  the  Chinese  sovereign 
towards  the  English  people,  and  for  several  years  no  untoward  events 
occurred  to  interrupt  the  quiet  progress  of  commercial  affairs  at  Canton. 
One  of  the  principal  effects  of  the  mission  was  to  draw  a  much  greater 
share  of  the  public  attention  towards  China,  and  to  lead  gradually  to 
the  study  of  the  language,  literature,  institutions  and  manners  of  that 
vast  and  singular  empire. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  OPiUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND. 

Battles  with  Pirates— The  Embassy  of  Lord  Amherst— Question  of  the  Kowtow— Kea-King 
Dies  and  is  Succeeded  by  Taou-Kuang— Local  Insurrections  Throughout  the  Empire- 
Causes  Leading  to  the  First  War  with  England— Troubles  with  the  Dealers  in  Opium— 
Arrival  at  Canton  of  the  Emperor's  Commission— The  British  Fleet  Blockades  Principal 
Ports— Hongkong  Ceded  to  Ctreat  Britain— Treaty  of  Peace  Signed. 

KEA'KING'S  reign,  which  extended  over  a  period  of  twenty-five 
years,  was  disturbed  and  disastrous.  In  the  northern  and  west- 
ern provinces,  rebellion  after  rebellion  broke  out,  due  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  carelessness  and  incompetency  of  the  emjDcror, 
who  was  as  obstinately  self-opinionated  as  he  was  unfit  to  rule,  and  the 
coasts  were  infested  with  bands  of  pirates,  whose  number  and  organiza- 
tion enabled  them  for  a  long  time  to  hold  the  imperial  fleet  in  check. 
But,  fortunately  for  the  government,  dissensions  broke  out  among  the 
pirate  chiefs,  and,  weakened  by  internal  fighting,  they  finally  made  their 
peace  with  the  mandarins  and  accepted  posts  under  the  emperor. 

Meanwhile  the  condition  of  the  foreign  merchants  at  Canton  had  in 
no  wise  improved.  The  mandarins  were  as  exacting  and  unjust  as  ever, 
and  in  order  to  set  matters  on  a  better  footing  the  British  government 
sent  a  second  ambassador  in  the  person  of  Lord  Amherst  to  Peking  in 
1816.  On  arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  Peiho  he  was  received  by  imperial 
commissioners,  who  conducted  him  to  Yuen-ming-yuen,  taking  every 
advantage  on  the  way  of  pointing  out  to  him  the  necessity  of  his  per- 
forming the  kowtow  or  prostration  before  the  emperor  if  he  wished 
to  be  allowed  to  enter  the  imperial  presence.  This  he  declined  to  do, 
and  he  was  consequently  dismissed  from  the  palace  on  the  same  day  on 
which  he  arrived,  and  thus  a  new  impetus  was  given  to  the  insolence 
of  the  mandarins. 

Destitute  of  all  royal  qualities,  a  slave  to  his  passions,  and  the  ser- 
vant of  caprice,  the  Emperor  Kea-king  died  in  the  year  1820,  leaving 
a  disturbed  country  and  a  disaffected  people  as  a  legacy  to  his  successor, 
Taou-kuang. 

Though  possessed  of  considerable  energy  in  his  early  years  Taou- 
kuang  no  sooner  ascended  the  throne  than  he  turned  his  powers,  which 

}04 


THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND.  105 

should  have  been  directed  to  the  pacification  of  the  empire,  to  the  pur- 
suit of  pleasure  and  amusement.  The  reforms  which  his  subjects  had 
been  led  by  his  first  manifestoes  to  believe  would  be  introduced  never 
seriously  occupied  his  attention,  and  the  discontent  which  had  been 
lulled  by  hope  soon  became  intensified  by  despair.  In  Formosa,  Kuang-si, 
Ho-nan,  and  other  parts  of  the  empire  insurrections  broke  out,  which 
the  imperial  guards  were  quite  unable  to  suppress  by  force,  and  the 
Triad  Society,  which  had  originated  during  the  reign  of  Kang-he,  again 
showed  a  formidable  front  under  his  degenerate  successor. 

Meanwhile  the  hardships  inflicted  on  the  English  merchants  at  Can- 
ton became  so  unbearable,  that  when,  in  1834,  the  monopoly  of  the 
East  India  company  ceased,  the  English  government  determined  to  send 
out  a  minister  to  superintend  the  foreign  trade  at  that  port.  Lord 
Napier  was  selected  for  the  office;  but  so  vexatious  was  the  conduct  of 
the  Chinese  authorities,  and  so  inadequately  was  he  supported,  that 
the  anxiety  of  his  position  brought  on  an  attack  of  fever,  from  which 
he  died  at  Macao  after  but  a  few  months'  residence  in  China.  The  chief 
cause  of  complaint  adduced  by  the  mandarins  was  the  introduction 
of  opium  by  the  merchants,  and  for  years  they  attempted  by  every 
means  in  tlieir  power,  by  stopping  all  foreign  trade,  by  demands  for  the 
prohibition  of  the  traffic  in  the  drug,  and  by  vigilant  preventative  meas- 
ures, to  put  a  stop  to  its  importation. 

During  the  years  1837  and  1838,  there  was  a  constant  struggle  along 
the  coast  between  the  officers  of  the  government,  the  native  smugglers, 
and  the  foreign  dealers;  sometimes  the  former  competed  with,  and  some- 
times connived  at,  and  then  arrested  the  latter,  while  the  foreigners 
seldojn  came  in  collision  with  either,  but  did  all  they  could  to  promote 
the  sale  of  the  drug.  In  April,  1838,  a  native  named  Kwoh  Siping  was 
publicly  strangled  at  Macao  by  express  command  of  the  emperor,  as  a 
warning  to  others  not  to  engage  in  the  opium  traffic. 

A  visit  was  paid  to  one  of  the  European  smuggling  schooners  near 
the  factories,  some  weeks  previous  to  this  execution,  and  three  chests 
of  opium  seized  by  the  Chinese,  and  the  hong  merchant  who  owned  the 
house  occupied  by  the  agent  of  the  drug  was  held  responsible  for  not 
having  duly  warned  his  tenant  and  for  not  seeing  that  his  instructions 
took  effect.  It  was  understood  that  he  paid  nearly  |10,000  to  hush  up 
the  matter.     The  number  of  foreign  small  craft  under  English  and 


106  THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND. 

American  flags  plying  up  and  down  the  river  at  this  date  was  over  fifty, 
most  of  them  engaged  in  smuggling  opium. 

Sometimes  the  government  seemed  determined  to  exert  its  power, 
and  boats  were  consequently  destroyed,  smugglers  seized  and  tortured, 
and  the  sales  checked;  then,  it  went  on  again  as  briskly  as  ever.  These 
boats  were  easily  caught,  for  the  government  could  exercise  entire  con- 
trol over  its  own  subjects;  but  when  the  foreign  schooners,  heavily 
armed  and  manned,  sailed  up  and  down  the  river  delivering  the  drug, 
the  revenue  cruisers  were  afraid  to  attack  them. 

The  contraband  traffic  on  the  river  increased  to  such  a  degree  dur- 
ing the  year  1838,  that  the  whole  foreign  trade  seemed  likely  to  be 
involved,  when  it  suddenly  took  another  direction.  On  the  3rd  of  De- 
cember, twelve  small  boxes  containing  about  two  peculs  of  opium  were 
seized  while  landing,  and  the  coolies  carried  into  the  city.  They  de- 
clared that  they  had  been  sent  to  Whampoa  by  Mr.  Innes,  a  British 
merchant,  to  obtain  the  opium  from  an  American  ship  consigned  to 
Mr.  Talbot.  The  government  ordered  the  hong  merchants  to  expel  these 
two  men  and  the  ship  within  three  days.  Mr.  Talbot  sent  in  a  communi- 
cation stating  that  neither  the  ship  nor  himself  had  anything  to  do  with 
the  opium,  and  obtained  a  reversal  of  the  order  to  leave.  The  hong 
merchants  were  justly  irritated  at  this  flagrant  violation  of  the  law, 
and  informed  the  chamber  of  commerce  that  they  would  not  rent  their 
houses  to  anyone  who  would  not  give  a  bond  to  abstain  from  such  pro- 
ceedings; and  furthermore  declaring  their  intention  to  pull  down  Mr. 
Innes'  house  if  he  failed  to  depart. 

The  chamber  of  commerce  protested,  stating,  "that  the  inviolability 
of  their  personal  dwellings  was  a  point  imperatively  necessary"  for 
their  security.  The  government,  as  if  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  next, 
resolved  to  show  foreigners  what  consequences  befell  natives  who  dealt 
in  opium;  and  while  Mr.  Innes  still  remained  in  Canton,  an  officer  with 
a  small  party  of  fifteen  men  was  sent  to  execute  Ho  Laukin,  a  convicted 
dealer,  in  front  of  the  factories.  The  officer  was  proceeding  to  carry 
his  orders  into  effect  near  the  American  flagstaff,  when  the  foreigners 
sallied  out,  pushed  down  the  bamboo  tent  he  was  raising,  trampling  on 
it,  and  telling  him  emphatically  not  to  execute  the  man  there.  Quite 
unprepared  for  this  opposition,  he  hastily  gathered  up  his  implements, 
and  went  into  a  neighboring  street,  where  the  man  was  executed. 

Meanwhile  a  large  crowd  of  idlers  collected  to  see  these  extraor- 


THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND.  107 

dinary  proceedings,  whom  the  foreigners  endeavored  to  drive  away,  sup- 
posing that  a  little  determination  would  soon  scatter  them.  Blows, 
however,  were  returned,  and  the  foreigners  were  speedily  driven  into 
the  factories.  The  crowd  had  now  become  a  mob,  and  under  the  im- 
pression that  two  natives  had  been  seized,  they  began  to  batter  the 
fronts  and  break  the  windows  with  stones  and  brickbats.  The  district 
magistrate  appeared  on  the  scene,  attended  by  a  small  body  of  police, 
and  soon  queUed  the  storm  and  dispersed  the  mob.  This  occurrence 
tended  to  impress  both  the  government  and  the  people  with  contempt 
and  hatred  for  the  foreigners  and  their  characters,  fear  of  their  de- 
signs, and  the  necessity  of  restraining  them.  The  majority  of  them 
were  engaged  in  the  opium  trade,  and  all  stood  before  the  empire  as 
violators  of  the  laws,  while  the  people  themselves  suffered  the  penalties. 

The  chamber  of  commerce,  in  an  address  to  the  government,  ex- 
pressed its  indignation  at  the  square  being  turned  into  a  place  of  exe- 
cution, "for  it  belonged  to  the  houses  rented  by  the  foreigners,"  and  was 
"a  direct  violation  of  established  tenures."  "Their  minds,"  the  writers 
said,  "were  greatly  excited  at  hearing  what  was  to  be  done;  they  assem- 
bled in  the  square,  and  there  plainly  but  peacefully  pointed  out  to  the 
officer  in  charge  that  such  an  occurrence  could  not  be  tolerated;  no 
violence  of  any  sort  was  committed,  and  the  oflflcers  of  government 
desisted  in  their  preparations,  and  withdrew."  The  subsequent  riot 
was  attributed  entirely  to  the  populace,  and  the  assertion  was  made 
that  the  foreigners  withdrew  into  their  factories  "on  the  assurance  that 
the  police  should  instantly  be  sent  for,  and  from  the  most  earnest  wish 
to  prevent  the  fatal  consequences  which  might  have  arisen  from  any 
conflict  between  the  foreigners  and  the  populace." 

The  governor  replied  with  dignity.  After  stating  the  grounds  of 
the  condemnation  of  Ho  Laukin,  he  proceeds:  "I,  the  governor,  with 
the  lieutenant-governor,  having  taken  into  consideration  that  his  pen- 
alty of  death  was  the  result  of  the  pernicious  introduction  of  opium  into 
Canton  by  depraved  foreigners,  commanded  that  he  should  be  led  out 
to  the  ground  of  the  thirteen  factories,  adjoining  the  foreign  residences, 
and  there  be  executed.  Thus  it  was  designed  to  strike  observation,  to 
arouse  careful  reflection,  and  to  cause  all  to  admonish  and  warn  one 
another;  in  a  hope  that  a  trembling  obedience  to  the  laws  and  statutes 
of  the  Celestial  empire  might  be  produced,  that  the  good  portion  of  the 
foreign  community  might  thereby  preserve  forever  their  commercial 


108  THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND. 

intercourse,  and  that  the  depraved  portion  might  be  prevented  from 
pursuing  their  evil  courses.  These  foreigners,  though  born  and  brought 
up  beyond  the  pale  of  civilization,  have  human  hearts.  How  should 
they  have  been  impressed  with  awe  and  dread,  and  self -conviction!  Can 
they  yet  put  pen  to  paper  to  draw  up  such  insane  whinings?"  He  adds 
that  he  intends  to  execute  all  such  criminals  in  that  place,  and  properly 
asserts  the  same  control  over  it  as  any  other  place  in  the  province. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  Commissioner  Lin  arrived  in  Canton  to  enter 
upon  the  difficult  duties  of  his  office.  The  emperor  sent  him  to  Canton 
to  inquire  and  act  so  as  thoroughly  to  remove  the  source  of  the  evil,  for, 
he  says,  "if  the  source  of  the  evil  be  not  thoroughly  ascertained,  how 
can  we  hope  that  the  stream  of  pernicious  consequences  shall  be  stayed? 
It  is  our  full  hope  that  the  long  indulged  habit  will  be  forever  laid 
aside,  and  every  root  and  germ  of  it  entirely  eradicated;  we  would  fain 
think  that  our  ministers  will  be  enabled  to  substantiate  our  wishes  and 
so  remove  from  China  the  dire  calamity." 

For  a  week  after  his  arrival,  the  commissioner  was  busy  making 
inquiries,  and  nothing  was  ijublicly  heard  from  him;  w^hile  everyone, 
natives  and  foreigners,  anxiously  watched  his  movements.  On  the  18th, 
Lin's  first  proclamations  were  issued  to  the  hong  merchants  and  the 
foreigners;  that  to  the  latter  required  them  to  deliver  up  every  particle 
of  opium  in  the  store-ships,  and  to  give  bonds  that  they  would  bring  no 
more,  on  the  penalty  of  death.  The  poor  hong  merchants  were,  as  usual, 
instructed  regarding  their  responsibility  to  admonish  the  foreigners, 
and  furthermore  were  strictly  charged  to  procure  these  bonds,  or  they 
would  be  made  examples  of.  Three  days  were  allowed  for  the  opium 
to  be  given  up  and  the  bonds  made  out;  on  the  last  of  which  the  cham- 
ber of  commerce  met.  The  hoppo  had  already  issued  orders  detaining 
all  foreigners  in  Canton,  in  fact  making  them  prisoners  in  their  own 
houses;  communication  with  the  shipping  was  suspended,  troops  were 
assembled  about  the  factories,  and  armed  cruisers  stationed  on  the 
river. 

On  the  25th,  most  of  the  foreign  merchants  of  all  nations  signed  a 
paper  pledging  themselves  "not  to  deal  in  opium,  nor  to  attempt  to 
introduce  it  into  the  Chinese  empire."  How  many  of  the  individuals 
subsequently  broke  this  pledge  on  the  ground  that  it  was  forced  upon 
them  cannot  be  stated,  but  it  is  well  authenticated  that  a  number  of 
those  w^ho  signed  it  afterwards  actively  engaged  in  the  trade.    Captain 


THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND.  109 

Elliot,  the  recognized  head  of  the  British  trade  at  Canton,  applied  for 
passports  for  himself  and  countrymen,  but  was  informed  that  the  re- 
quest would  not  be  granted  until  the  opium  known  to  be  in  the  posses- 
sion of  English  dealers  was  surrendered.  Whereupon  Captain  Elliot 
issued  a  circular  to  the  British  subjects  at  the  port  connected  with  the 
trade,  requiring  them  to  surrender  to  him  all  the  opium  under  their 
control.  The  requisition  was  promptly  answered,  and  20,283  chests  of 
the  drug  were  quickly  delivered  into  his  charge. 

The  market  value  of  this  property  at  the  time  was  not  far  from  nine 
million  dollars.  It  was  on  board  twenty-two  vessels,  and  directions 
were  sent  for  them  to  anchor  near  the  Bogue,  to  await  orders  for  its 
delivery  to  the  Chinese  officers,  the  commissioner  and  the  governor 
themselves  going  down  to  superintend  the  affair.  These  dignitaries 
vv^ere  no  doubt  greatly  astonished  at  the  success  of  their  measures,  and 
somewhat  puzzled  what  to  do  with  the  enormous  amount  of  property 
so  unexpectedly  obtained.  On  April  2,  the  arrangements  for  delivering 
the  opium  were  completed,  and  on  May  21  the  whole  amount  was  safely 
stored  in  buildings  erected  for  it  near  the  Bogue.  Lin  referred  to  Peking 
for  orders  concerning  its  disposition,  and  the  emperor  commanded  the 
whole  to  be  destroyed  in  the  presence  of  the  civil  and  military  officers, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  coast,  and  the  foreigners,  "that  they  might  know 
and  tremble  thereat." 

The  mode  of  destroying  the  opium  was  described  by  an  eyewitness 
as  performed  in  the  most  thorough  manner  by  mixing  it  in  parcels  of 
200  chests  in  trenches,  with  lime  and  salt  water,  and  then  drawing  off 
the  contents  into  the  adjacent  creek  at  low  tide.  Overseers  were  sta- 
tioned to  prevent  the  workmen  or  villagers  from  purloining  the  opium, 
and  one  man  was  summarily  executed  for  attempting  to  carry  away 
a  small  quantity.  Thus  the  entire  20,291  chests  received  from  the 
English  (eight  more  having  been  sent  from  Macao)  were  completely 
destroyed.  This  is  probably  the  only  instance  on  record  in  the  history 
of  tlie  world  of  a  monarch  preferring  to  destroy  property  by  the  sale  of 
which  he  might  enrich  himself  to  the  extent  of  millions  of  dollars,  sim- 
ply because  he  wished  to  save  his  subjects  from  the  injurious  effects  of 
the  use  of  the  drug. 

The  irritation  of  the  foreign  community  on  account  of  these  proceed- 
ings was  increased  by  an  attack  of  Chinese  soldiers  upon  a  small 
schooner  called  the  Black  Joke  on  her  way  to  Hongkong,  in  which  five  of 


110  THE  OPIUM  WAR  WITH  ENGLAND. 

the  crew  were  killed  or  wounded,  and  a  passenger  on  board  barbarously 
injured  and  left  for  dead,  with  his  ears  cut  off  and  stuffed  into  his 
mouth. 

Commissioner  Lin  now  attempted  to  drive  the  British  fleet  away 
from  Hongkong,  but  finding  the  port  too  well  defended  to  make  this 
possible,  he  forbade  the  inhabitants  furnishing  the  ships  with  provisions. 
This  led  to  a  collision.  Captain  Elliot  sent  a  gig  ashore  to  purchase 
supplies,  which  the  police  stopped  just  as  they  were  going  off,  where- 
upon he  fired  upon  three  junks  which  were  patrolling  the  harbor,  and 
the  fire  was  immediately  answered  by  them  and  the  fort.  The  skirmish 
continued  till  night,  with  no  loss  of  life  and  very  little  damage  on  either 
side. 

The  two  parties  were  now  engaged  in  actual  hostilities,  yet  nego- 
tiations for  continuing  trade  near  the  Bogue  were  entered  into  in  Octo- 
ber, between  the  British  merchants  and  Captain  Elliot  on  one  side,  and 
the  hong  merchants,  sub-prefect,  and  other  officials  on  the  other.  The 
details  of  the  arrangement  were  nearly  completed,  Captain  Elliot  had 
given  security  for  its  being  carried  on  fairly,  and  the  commissioner 
himself  had  signed  the  agreement,  when  the  unauthorized  entrance  of 
the  English  ship  Thomas  Coutts,  whose  captain  signed  the  bond, 
led  to  the  rupture  of  all  negotiations.  Coercive  measures  were  taken 
against  the  English  families  at  Macao,  and  Captain  Elliot  ordered  all 
British  ships  to  assemble  at  Tungku  under  the  protection  of  the  ships 
of  war  Volage  and  Hyacinth.  He  also  proceeded  to  the  Bogue,  to  re- 
quest a  withdrawal  of  the  threats  against  the  British,  and  unmolested 
residence  at  Macao,  until  the  two  governments  could  arrange  their 
difficulties.  During  his  absence  an  engagement  ensued  between  Ad- 
miral Kwan  with  a  fleet  of  sixteen  junks  and  the  two  ships  of  war,  in 
which  three  junks  were  sunk,  one  blown  up,  and  the  rest  scattered. 

Immediately  on  the  release  of  Captain  Elliot  from  Canton,  after 
che  surrender  of  the  opium  to  the  Chinese  authorities,  he  despatched 
the  clipper  Ariel  to  England,  giving  a  full  account  of  the  troubles  up 
to  that  date.  She  returned  in  April,  1840,  announcing  the  determina- 
tion of  the  British  government  to  appeal  to  arms  in  case  the  emperor 
refused  to  settle  the  difficulties  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  The  Chinese 
apparently  foresaw  the  coming  struggle,  and  began  to  collect  troops 
and  repair  their  forts,  and  Lin,  now  governor-general  of  Kuang-tung, 


THE  OPIUM  WAR   WITH  ENGLAND.  Ill 

purchased  the  Chesapeake,  a  large  ship,  and  appointed  an  intendant  of 
circuit  near  Macao  to  guard  the  coasts. 

The  advance  of  the  English  forces  arrived  off  Macao,  June  22,  1841, 
when  Commodore  Sir  George  Bremer  published  a  notice  of  the  blockade 
of  Canton.  The  force  under  Commodore  Bremer  comprised  fifteen  ships 
of  war,  four  steam  vessels,  and  twenty-five  transports  with  4,000  soldiers 
on  board,  and  with  such  a  force  it  seemed  scarcely  probable  that  the 
Chinese  would  long  hold  out  against  the  demands  of  the  English  repre- 
sentative. Such  anticipation  was  soon  dispelled,  as  the  reply  of  Com- 
missioner Lin  to  the  display  of  arms  was  to  oft'er  a  reward  of  flOO  for 
each  English  prisoner  and  |20  for  each  killed;  $20,000  for  each  English 
man  of  war  of  eighty  guns;  others  in  proportion.  After  the  arrival  of 
his  entire  force,  the  commodore  proceeded  northward  to  the  island  of 
Chusan,  and  after  a  brief  but  destructive  bombardment  of  the  town  of 
Tinghai,  the  troops  were  landed  and  the  island  passed,  for  the  first 
time,  into  the  possession  of  Great  Britain. 

The  first  act  of  the  drama  was  promptly  followed  by  another,  not 
less  important  in  itself,  and  still  more  striking  in  its  attendant  features. 
Mr.  Vincent  Stanton,  an  English  subject,  had  been  carried  off  from 
Macao  as  a  prisoner  to  Canton,  and  the  reiterated  demands  for  his  sur- 
render had  failed  to  obtain  any  satisfactory  answer.  At  the  same  time 
the  Chinese  forces  were  more  than  doubled  in  the  permanent  camp  out- 
side Macao,  the  junks  were  collected  for  the  defence  of  the  barrier,  and 
all  the  able-bodied  men  of  the  coast  were  summoned  to  wage  war  by  sea 
and  land  against  the  "barbarians."  There  was  noi  alternative  save  to 
assume  the  offensive  and  to  arrest  the  hostile  preparations  of  the  Chi- 
nese before  they  had  attained  a  point  of  greater  strength  and  eflftciency. 
The  barrier  forts  were  bombarded  by  two  ships  of  war  and  two  smaller 
vessels,  and  400  blue-jackets  and  sepoys  were  landed  to  complete  the 
effect  of  the  bombardment.  The  objects*  of  the  attack  were  obtained 
with  the  loss  of  four  men,  while  the  Chinese  lost  over  100  killed. 

Meanwhile  the  operations  in  Chusan,  and  the  blockading  of  Canton, 
Amoy  and  Ningpo,  had  spread  confusion  along  the  coast,  and  even  dis- 
turbed the  equanimity  of  the  emperor.  The  first  contact  with  the  Eu- 
ropeans had  exposed  the  defencelessness  of  the  kingdom.  Imperial 
wrath  at  once  fell  upon  the  man  to  whom  had  been  entrusted  the  sup- 
pression of  the  traffic  in  the  "flowing  poison,"  opium.    Commissioner 


112  THE  OPIUM  WAR   WITH  ENGLAND. 

Lin  was  removed  from  all  his  posts,  and  ordered  to  proceed  with  "the 
speed  of  flames"  to  Peking,  there  to  meet  with  his  deserts. 

On  January  7,  1841,  troops  were  landed  on  the  coast  to  operate  on 
the  flank  and  rear  of  the  outer  forts  in  the  Bogue.  The  advance  squad- 
ron under  Captain  Herbert  engaged  the  same  forts  in  the  front,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  fleet  proceeded  to  attack  the  stockade  on  the  ad- 
joining island  of  Taikok.  The  land  force,  consisting  of  some  1,400  men 
and  three  guns,  had  not  proceeded  far  along  the  coast  before  it  came 
across  a  strongly  entrenched  camp,  in  addition  to  the  forts  of  Chuenpec, 
having  in  all  several  thousand  soldiers  and  many  field-pieces  in  position. 
The  forts  were,  after  a  sharp  cannonade,  carried  with  a  rush,  and  a 
formidable  Chinese  army  was  driven  out  of  its  entrenchments  with 
hardly  any  loss  to  its  assailants.  The  forts  at  Taikok  were  destroyed 
by  the  fire  of  the  ships,  and  guns  were  spiked  and  garrisons  routed  by 
storming  parties.  A  large  number  of  war  junks  were  also  captured  or 
blown  up.  The  Chinese  lost  at  least  500  killed,  including  their  com- 
mander, besides  an  untold  number  of  wounded.  Yet,  although  the  loss 
of  the  English  was  only  thirty-eight  wounded,  it  was  generally  allowed 
that  the  Chinese  defence  was  "obstinate  and  honorable." 

The  consequences  of  the  capture  of  the  outer  forts  in  the  Bogue  were 
immediate  and  important.  The  Chinese  begged  for  a  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities, and  Keshen,  who  had  been  appointed  to  succeed  Lin  in  the 
direction  of  affairs,  accepted  as  the  preliminaries  of  a  treaty,  terms 
which  conceded  to  the  English  everything  they  demanded:  a  large 
indemnity,  the  cession  of  Hongkong,  and  direct  official  intercourse  be- 
tween the  two  governments.  The  one  stipulation  which  was  carried  into 
immediate  effect,  was  that  relating  to  Hongkong.  While  the  other  pro- 
visos remained  the  subjects  of  much  future  discussion,  and,  as  it  proved, 
disagreement,  the  troops  were  withdrawn  from  Chusan  in  order  to 
occupy  Hongkong,  and  Captain  Elliot  issued  a  proclamation  dated 
January  29,  1841,  announcing  the  fact  that  this  island  had  been  added 
to  the  possession  of  Great  Britain.  The  prevalent  opinion  at  the  time 
attached  but  little  value  to  the  acquisition,  and  most  persons  believed 
that  Hongkong  would  never  prove  a  possession  of  any  great  importance. 
Certainly  no  one  was  sufficiently  far-seeing  to  realize  the  material  pros- 
perity and  political  importance  that  lay  before  that  barren  island. 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  these  concessions  reached  the  emperor,  Keshen 
was  ordered  to  return  to  Peking  forthwith,  in  order  to  suffer  the  ex- 


THE  OPIUM  \YAR  WITH  ENGLAND.  113 

treme  penalty  of  the  law,  and  an  official  was  sent  with  the  strictest 
injunctions  to  drag  him  into  the  imperial  presence.  An  indictment  of 
eight  charges  was  drawn  against  him,  and  not  the  least  gTave  of  the 
offences  laid  to  his  fault  was  that  he  had  held  interviews  and  can'ied 
on  a  correspondence  with  Captain  Elliot  on  terms  of  equality.  Every- 
thing went  to  show  that  the  Chinese  government  had  not  learned  a 
lesson  from  its  latest  experiences,  and  that  it  still  based  its  claims  on 
an  intolerant  and  unapproachable  superiority.  Keshin's  trial  was  held 
at  Peking  a  few  months  later,  when  the  court  of  inquiry  decided  that 
his  policy  was  bad,  which  signified  that  he  had  not  been  successful. 
His  immense  fortune  included  gold,  270,000  taels  weight;  sycee  silver, 
3,400,000  taels  weight;  foreign  money,  2,000,000  taels  weight;  six  pawn- 
shops, in  different  parts  of  the  empire;  eighty -four  banking  shops; 
eighteen  striking  clocks;  ten  gold  watches;  twenty-four  fur  garments; 
two  images  of  horses,  made  of  precious  stones;  two  images  of  lions, 
made  of  precious  stones;  twenty-eight  crystal  wash-hand  basins;  one  tor- 
toise shell  bedstead;  four  chariots;  168  female  slaves;  and  other  articles 
of  value  too  numerous  to  mention.  All  this  was  sequestrated  to  the  em- 
peror, and  Keshin  was  sentenced  to  decapitation.  It  may  be  interesting 
to  state  that  by  an  act  of  special  favor  this  sentence  was  commuted, 
some  months  later,  to  one  of  banishment  to  Tibet,  where  he  was  ap- 
pointed the  emperor's  Resident  at  Lhasa. 

Yih  Shan,  a  nephew  of  Emperor  Taou-wang,  was  appointed  as  com- 
missioner in  his  place,  but  before  he  could  reach  Canton  it  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  English  forces,  under  command  of  Sir  Hugh 
Gough.  In  this  engagement  Canton  was  saved  from  storming  and 
probable  destruction  by  a  deluge  of  rain,  which  delayed  the  arrival  of 
needed  ammunition  and  ladders.  This  suspension  of  military  opera- 
tions was  utilized  by  the  Canton  authorities  for  negotiations  with  Cap- 
tain Elliot,  which  resulted  in  an  agreement  that  the  imperial  commis- 
sioners and  all  the  troops  should  leave  the  city  within  six  days  and 
withdraw  to  a  distance  of  not  less  than  sixty  miles,  and  that  six  million 
dollars  should  be  paid  over  "for  the  use  of  the  English  Crown." 

About  this  time  the  arrival  of  Sir  Henry  Pottinger,  as  sole  plenipo- 
tentiary to  the  court  of  Peking,  and  of  Sir  William  Parker  to  assume 
the  command  of  the  fleet,  brought  new  characters  onto  the  scene,  and 
signified  that  the  English  government  was  determined  to  bring  the 
question  of  the  relations  between  the  two  nations  to  a  speedy  issue. 


114  THE  OPIUM  WAR   WITH  ENGLAND. 

Sir  Henry's  principal  object  was  to  conclude  a  treaty  with  the  imperial 
government.  A  commercial  agreement  for  the  conduct  of  trade  at  Can- 
ton could  not  be  considered  an  equivalent  for  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  fitting  out  and  despatching  large  expeditions  to  China,  and  besides, 
there  was  no  guarantee  for  its  durability. 

Taou-kuang  had  not  taken  the  least  step  towards  meeting  foreign 
governments  on  a  common  footing,  and  it  was  an  open  secret  that  he 
would  repudiate  all  sympathy  with,  and  responsibility  for,  Yih  Shan's 
personal  engagement.  The  English  representative  resolved,  therefore, 
to  follow  up  the  recent  successes  and  by  moving  the  scene  of  action 
to  other  parts  of  the  empire  he  hoped  to  effect  his  object,  and  to  bring 
home  to  the  Chinese  sovereign  the  necessity  of  conceding  the  demands 
of  the  English  nation.  With  this  end  in  view,  the  British  troops  cap- 
tured with  slight  losses  Amoy,  Ningpo,  Tinghai  in  Chusan,  Chapu, 
Shanghai  and  Chin-kiang  Fu,  and  a  like  evil  would  have  happened  to 
Nanking  had  not  the  imperial  government,  dreading  the  loss  of  the 
"southern  capital,"  proposed  terms  of  peace.  After  much  discussion 
Sir  Henry  Pottinger  concluded,  in  1842,  a  treaty  with  the  imperial 
commissioners,  by  which  the  four  additional  ports  of  Amoy,  Fu-chau-Fu, 
Ningpo  and  Shanghai  were  declared  open  to  foreign  trade,  and  an  in- 
demnity of  twenty-one  million  dollars  was  to  be  paid  to  the  English. 

Leaving  the  other  points  at  issue  out  of  the  question,  this  war,  which 
resulted  in  forcing  the  opium  traffic  on  the  Chinese  by  England,  is  one 
of  the  blackest  pages  in  the  history  of  the  civilized  nations  of  the  world. 
The  rapid  spread  of  the  use  of  the  drug  among  the  hundreds  of  millions 
of  Chinese,  dating  from  this  time,  may  be  charged  against  England,  in 
the  long  account  which  records  the  oppression  and  the  shame  of  her 
dealings  with  whatever  eastern  nation  she  has  played  the  game  of  war 
and  colonization  and  annexation. 

The  remainder  of  the  reign  of  Taou-kuang  was  no  more  fortunate 
than  its  beginning;  the  empire  was  completely  disorganized,  rebellious 
ioutbreaks  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  the  imperial  armies  were 
powerless  to  oppose  them.  So  complete  was  the  demoralization  of  the 
troops,  that  on  one  occasion  the  Meaou-tsze  or  hill  tribes  of  Kuang-si 
defeated  an  army  of  30,000  men  sent  against  them  by  the  viceroy  of  the 
two  Kuangs.  In  1850,  while  these  clouds  were  hanging  gloomily  over 
the  land,  Taou-kuang  "ascended  on  high,"  and  Heen-fung,  his  son, 
reigned  in  his  stead. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 

The  Revolt  Under  Hung  Sew-tsuen — Capture  of  Nanking— War  Between  China  and  Great 
Britain — Canton  Seized  By  the  English  Forces — Chinese  Treachery — The  Summer  Palace 
Burned  by  * 'Chinese"  Gordon — End  of  the  Tai-ping  Rebellion — A  Story  of  Li  Hung 
Chang — Persecution  of  the  Missionaries — The  Massacre  at  Tien-tsin — Extended  Foreign 
Relations— Death  of  Emperor  Tung-che — The  First  Railroad — War  with  France — Ex- 
tension of  Telegraph  Lines. 

IMMEDIATELY  on  the  accession  of  Heen-fung  to  the  throne,  a  gen- 
eral cry  was  raised  for  the  reforms  which  had  been  hoped  for  under 
Taou-kuang.  But  Heen-fung  possessed  in  an  exaggerated  form  the 
selfish  and  tyrannical  nature  of  his  father,  together  with  the  volup- 
tuary's craving  for  every  kind  of  pleasure,  and  he  lived  to  reap  as  he  had 
sown.  For  some  time  Kwang-se  had  been  in  a  very  disturbed  state, 
and  when,  on  the  accession  of  the  new  emperor,  the  people  found  that 
no  relief  from  the  oppression  they  had  endured  was  to  be  given  them, 
they  broke  out  into  open  revolt  and  proclaimed  a  youth,  who  was  said 
to  be  the  representative  of  the  last  emperor  of  the  Ming  dynasty,  as 
emperor,  under  the  title  to  Teen-tih  or  "Heavenly  Virtue." 

From  Kuang-si  the  flames  spread  into  Hu-pih  and  Ho-nan  and  then 
languished  from  want  of  a  leader  and  a  definite  political  cry.  Just  at 
this  moment,  however,  when  there  appeared  to  be  a  possibility  that, 
by  force  of  arms  and  the  persuasive  influence  of  money,  the  imperialists 
would  re-establish  their  supremacy,  a  leader  presented  himself  in 
Kuang-si,  whose  energy  of  character,  combined  with  great  political  and 
religious  enthusiasm,  speedily  gained  for  him  the  suffrages  of  the  dis- 
contented. This  was  Hung  Sew-tseuen.  Seizing  on  the  popular  longing 
for  the  return  of  a  Chinese  dynasty,  he  proclaimed  himself  as  sent  by 
heaven  to  drive  out  the  Tartars,  and  to  restore  in  his  own  person  the 
succession  to  China.  At  the  same  time  having  been  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  professing  to  abhor  the  vices  and  sins  of  the  age,  he  called 
on  all  the  virtuous  of  the  land  to  extirpate  rulers  who,  both  in  their 
public  laws  and  their  private  acts,  were  standing  examples  of  all  that 
was  base  and  vile  in  human  nature. 

Crowds  soon  flocked  to  his  standard.    Teen-tih  was  deserted;  and, 

115 


116  FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 

putting  himself  at  the  head  of  his  followers,  Hung  Sew-tseuen  marched 
northwards  into  Ho-nan  and  Hu-pi,  overthrowing  every  force  that  was 
sent  to  oppose  him.  The  first  city  of  importance  which  fell  into  his 
hands  was  Wu-chang  Fu  on  the  Yang-tsze-Kiang,  the  capital  of  Hu-pi. 
Situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Han  river  with  the  Yang-tsze-Kiang, 
this  city  was  a  point  of  great  strategical  importance.  But  Hung  Sew- 
tseuen  was  not  inclined  to  rest  upon  his  laurels,  knowing  full  well  that 
he  must  be  able  to  call  Nanking  his  before  there  would  be  any  chance 
that  his  dreams  of  empire  could  be  realized.  Having  made  Wu-chang 
Fu  secure,  he  therefore  moved  down  the  river,  and  after  taking  Gan-king 
on  his  way,  he  proceeded  to  the  attack  of  Nanking. 

So  widespread  was  the  disaffection  at  this  time  throughout  the  coun- 
try that  the  city  was  ripe  for  falling,  and  without  much  difficulty  Hung 
Sew-tseuen  in  1852  established  himself  within  its  walls,  and  proclaimed 
the  inauguration  of  the  Tai-ping  dynasty,  of  which  he  nominated  himself 
the  first  emperor  under  the  title  of  Teen  Wang,  or  "Heavenly  Ming." 
For  the  next  few  years  it  appeared  as  though  he  had  nailed  the  flag 
of  victory  to  his  staff.  His  armies  penetrated  victoriously  as  far  north 
as  Tien-tsin  and  as  far  east  as  Chin-kiang  and  Su-chau,  while  bands 
of  sympathizers  with  his  cause  appeared  in  the  neighborhood  of  Amoy. 

As  if  further  to  aid  and  abet  him  in  his  schemes,  trouble  began  again 
to  brew  between  China  and  Great  Britain,  growing  out  of  the  seizure 
of  the  English  sailing  vessel  Arrow,  and  in  1857  war  was  declared  be- 
tween the  two  nations.  In  December  of  the  same  year  Canton  was 
taken  by  an  English  force  under  Sir  Michael  Seymour  and  General 
Stranubenzee,  and  a  still  further  blow  was  struck  against  the  prestige 
of  the  ruling  government  by  the  determination  arrived  at  by  Lord  Elgin, 
who  had  been  sent  out  as  a  special  ambassador,  to  go  to  Peking  and 
communicate  directly  with  the  emperor.  In  May,  1858,  the  Taku  forts 
were  taken,  and  the  way  having  thus  been  cleared  of  obstacles,  Lord 
Elgin  went  up  the  Peiho  to  Tien-tsin  on  his  way  to  the  capital.  At 
Tien-tsin,  however,  he  was  met  by  the  imperial  commissioners,  who  per- 
suaded him  so  far  to  alter  his  plans  as  to  conclude  a  treaty  with  them 
on  the  spot,  which  treaty  it  was  agreed  should  be  ratified  at  Peking 
in  the  following  year. 

Hon.  Frederick  Bruce  had  been  appointed  to  fill  the  post  of  British 
minister  at  Peking,  provided  for  by  the  proposed  treaty;  but  he  did  not 
act  personally  in  the  negotiations  preliminary  to  its  execution.    Instead, 


FOREIGN  ^YAB  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION.  117 

he  appointed  two  of  his  secretaries,  Mr.  Parkes  and  Mr.  Loch,  to  meet 
the  Chinese  envoys.  They  were  accompanied  by  a  correspondent  of 
the  London  Times  named  Bowlby.  As  an  escort  there  were  nine  other 
Englishmen  and  twenty-six  Frenchmen,  all  unarmed. 

While  this  little  company  was  advancing  to  meet  the  Chinese  officials 
they  were  set  upon  by  a  troop  of  imperial  soldiers  and  carried  off  as 
prisoners  to  Peking.  At  the  same  time  a  French  officer  was  attacked 
and  killed  by  some  Chinese  soldiers,  and  the  disturbance  which  ensued 
led  to  a  general  engagement,  in  which  the  Chinese  troops  were  badly 
defeated. 

At  this  point  the  emperor  sent  word  to  Lord  Elgin  that  he  would 
be  very  happy  to  sign  the  treaty,  and  proposed  another  meeting  x)lace. 
Lord  Elgin  replied  that  there  would  be  no  further  negotiations  until 
the  prisoners  were  released.  Heen-fung  sent  word  back  evading  the 
issue  and  assuring  the  foreigners  that  the  prisoners  were  being  treated 
with  every  consideration.  Thereupon  word  was  given  for  the  advance 
on  Peking. 

Captain  Charles  Gordon,  afterwards  famous  as  "Chinese"  Gordon, 
had  arrived  in  China  in  the  meantime,  and  was  sent  in  command  of  this 
rescuing  army.  On  October  6  the  force  reached  the  walls  of  Peking, 
and  Captain  Gordon  sent  word  to  the  emperor  that  he  would  be  given 
twelve  hours  to  surrender  one  of  the  city  gates.  The  Chinese  still  at- 
tempted to  negotiate,  but  Gordon  busied  himself  getting  his  heavy 
guns  into  position  for  a  bombardment.  Just  before  the  time  limit  had 
expired  Heen-fung  notified  the  attacking  force  that  he  was  willing  to 
submit,  and  that  the  prisoners  would  be  given  up. 

The  gates  were  opened,  and  those  of  the  prisoners  who  survived 
were  brought  out  in  iron  cages.  Thirteen  had  died  under  the  terrible 
torture  which  had  been  inflicted  upon  them,  and  the  survivors  were  in 
a  condition  which  language  fails  to  express.  It  appeared  that  they  had 
been  subjected  to  every  form  of  indignity  which  the  fertile  mind  of 
the  Mongolian  is  able  to  devise. 

The  foreign  troops  went  wild,  and  with  difficulty  were  restrained 
from  sacking  the  city.  Gordon  wrote  to  Heen-fung,  saying  that  there 
could  be  no  peace  between  his  government  and  China  until  this  treach- 
erous cruelty  had  been  avenged.  In  alluding  to  the  sufferings  inflicted 
on  the  prisoners  he  said  he  could  not  speak  of  it  lest  he  be  betrayed 
into  expressions  which  were  not  seemly  for  any  man  to  use. 


118  FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 

Then  the  officers  held  a  council  of  war.  At  first  it  was  proposed  to 
destroy  the  city;  but  it  seemed  unjust  to  inflict  starvation  and  perhaps 
death  on  thousands  of  poor  people  who  had  not  had  any  hand  in  the 
crime,  so  it  was  determined  that  the  heaviest  punishment  would  be  the 
burning  of  the  summer  palace.  It  was  here  that  the  clothing  of  the 
prisoners  was  found,  and  in  the  stables  were  their  horses.  They  had 
been  brought  into  the  presence  of  the  emperor  and  the  tortures  had 
been  inflicted  at  his  personal  command,  and  for  his  diversion.  One  of 
those  who  had  died  under  the  treatment  was  a  Captain  de  Norman,  who 
had  campaigned  with  Gordon  in  Asia. 

Although  called  a  palace  the  name  referred  to  a  series  of  magnificent 
buildings  covering  several  square  miles,  and  the  rooms  of  which,  in 
addition  to  their  beautilful  and  costly  furnishings,  were  stored  with  vast 
quantities  of  woven  silks,  robes  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver,  china 
of  every  description,  art  treasures,  articles  of  vertu  from  foreign  coun- 
tries, and  vast  amounts  of  treasure. 

"We  could  not  plunder  them  properly,"  wrote  Gordon  in  his  reports 
of  the  affair.  "Gold  ornaments  were  burned,  being  mistaken  for  brass. 
It  was  wretchedly  demoralizing  work  for  an  army.  Everybody  was 
wild  for  plunder." 

What  was  not  carried  off  was  consigned  to  the  flames,  and  every 
vestige  of  the  structure  was  razed  to  the  earth.  The  troops  sowed  salt 
on  the  site  and  then  erected  a  monument  bearing  an  inscription  in 
Chinese  stating  that  this  was  done  as  a  punishment  for  treachery,  cru- 
elty and  a  violation  of  faith. 

The  burning  of  the  summer  palace  brought  the  Chinese  to  their 
senses  for  the  moment.  The  emperor  announced  his  willingness  to  sign 
any  treaty  which  might  be  presented.  And  accordingly  four  days  later 
the  document  was  agreed  to  in  the  hall  of  ceremonies  with  great  pomp. 
The  French  and  English  officers,  however,  were  not  allowed  to  be 
present,  their  feeling  of  resentment  still  being  so  strong  that  it  was 
feared  they  would  break  bounds  and  do  violence  to  the  persons  of  the 
Chinese. 

The  treaty  provided  for  the  payment  of  an  indemnity  of  $14,000,000; 
also  $50,000  for  each  Englishman  who  had  died  while  in  captivity,  for 
the  support  of  his  family,  and  |2,500  for  each  native  soldier  who  had 
died  in  captivity,  for  his  family.  The  other  provisions  of  the  treaty 
were  the  same  as  those  embodied  in  the  document  which  the  Chinese 


ea  oi  S 


s   ^■s.H•c 


Ph 


w  ° 

o  % 

O  ^ 

c 

^  a; 

C  O" 

M  Z 

*1  CO 


CD    Q 

0?   ^ 


FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION.  121 

emperor  had  promised  to  conclude  a  year  j)revious,  and  which  was  to 
have  been  signed  at  the  meeting  at  Tung  Chew,  where  the  envoys  were 
taken  prisoners.  It  provided  for  the  opening  of  certain  ports  on  the 
coast  to  the  commerce  of  the  world;  for  the  protection  of  Protestant 
and  Catholic  missionaries;  for  freedom  and  protection  to  foreigners  trav- 
eling in  China,  and  for  the  residence  at  Peking  of  a  British  and  French 
minister  during  such  part  of  the  year  as  their  home  governments  might 
elect.  It  also  provided  for  the  residence  of  a  Chinese  representative 
at  London  and  Paris. 

This  is  the  treaty  with  a  few  modifications,  under  which  the  world 
has  been  doing  business  with  China  for  the  past  forty  years. 

The  Emperor  Heen-fung  did  not  live  long  to  see  the  results  of  his 
new  relations  with  the  hated  foreigners,  but  died  in  the  summer  of  the 
following  year,  leaving  the  throne  to  his  son,  Tung-che,  a  child  of  five 
years  old. 

The  conclusion  of  peace  with  the  allies  was  the  signal  for  a  renewal 
of  the  campaign  against  the  Tai-pings.  The  Europeans  were  now  in- 
duced to  take  sides  in  this  civil  war  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  Tai- 
pings  threatened  the  seaport  cities,  where  lay  their  commercial  in- 
terests. 

It  was  at  this  point  that  Li  Hung  Chang  appears  on  the  scene.  Be- 
ing governor  of  the  province  of  Shanghai,  he  appealed  to  the  British 
admiral,  Staveley,  to  select  some  competent  British  officer  to  command 
the  "ever-victorious  army."  Staveley  chose  Gordon,  and  the  latter  un- 
dertook and  completed  the  work  of  exterminating  "the  Heavenly  King," 
as  Hung  Sew-tseuen  called  himself. 

The  first  army  of  which  Gordon  was  given  command  was  a  force  of 
mercenaries  raised  by  the  Shanghai  merchants  to  protect  themselves 
against  marauders.  An  American  named  Ward,  a  pure  soldier  of  for- 
tune, was  its  first  commander,  his  lieutenant  being  another  American 
named  Burgovine.  The  force  numbered  about  400  at  first,  but  grew 
later  to  5,000.  It  was  made  up  of  every  nationality  on  earth  and  was 
officered  by  Italians,  Greeks,  Portuguese,  Poles,  Russians  and  Chinese. 
They  fought  a  number  of  successful  battles,  but  Ward  was  finally  killed, 
and  under  the  leadership  of  Burgovine  and  others  the  force,  which  came 
to  be  known  as  "the  ever-victorious  army,"  was  far  from  living  up  to  its 
name.    At  Tai-tsan  the  failure  was  so  dismal  that  the  natives  stood  on 


122  FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 

the  walls  and  openly  jeered  at  the  soldiers  as  they  went  stumbling  into 
a  moat  which  they  had  not  supposed  to  be  there. 

But  from  the  time  that  Gordon  took  command  the  fortunes  of  the 
Tai-pings  declined.  They  lost  city  after  city,  and  finally,  in  July,  1864, 
the  imperialists,  after  an  interval  of  twelve  years,  once  more  gained 
possession  of  Nanking.  Teen  Wang  did  not  survive  the  capture  of  his 
capital,  and  with  him  fell  his  cause.  Those  of  his  followers  who  es- 
caped the  sword  of  the  victors  dispersed  throughout  the  country,  and 
the  Tai-pings  ceased  to  be. 

An  incident  at  the  close  of  the  Tai-ping  rebellion  throws  a  sidelight 
on  the  character  of  Li  Hung  Chang.  In  terminating  his  successful  cam- 
paign Gordon  captured  the  six  princes  of  the  Tai-ping  dynasty.  When 
they  surrendered  he  gave  his  promise  that  they  should  be  spared. 

But  when  Li  Hung  Chang  made  a  feast  in  honor  of  the  occasion  Gor- 
don saw  no  reason  why  the  princes  should  not  accept  the  invitation 
which  Li  extended  to  them  to  be  his  guests.  Accordingly  he  was  greatly 
shocked  when  at  the  end  of  the  last  course  Li  had  their  six  heads 
chopped  off.  In  fact,  Gordon  was  very  angry,  and  had  not  Li  fled  and 
concealed  himself  for  a  long  time  he  would  not  have  lived  to  play  the 
prominent  part  in  Chinese  politics  that  has  since  been  his. 

With  the  measure  of  peace  which  was  then  restored  to  the  country 
trade  rapidly  revived,  and  prosperity  everywhere  re-awakened.  The 
inauguration  of  a  steamship  line  between  San  Francisco  and  China  and 
Japan,  in  January,  1867,  was  an  event  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
the  United  States,  as  a  large  share  of  the  trade  of  those  nations,  a  prize 
for  which  the  civilized  world  had  contended  for  300  years,  now  fell  to 
this  country. 

Notwithstanding  the  efforts  made  by  the  Chinese  and  English  gov- 
ernments, the  pirates  continued  to  carry  on  their  work  in  Chinese  wa- 
ters. The  Hongkong  authorities,  in  particular,  entered  upon  a  deter- 
mined warfare  against  these  scourges  of  the  seas,  and  in  September, 
1867,  put  to  death  the  noted  chief,  Chat-tai.  The  pirates  vowed  revenge 
for  this  execution,  and  soon  proved  that  this  was  no  idle  boast  by  mur- 
dering the  captain  and  several  of  the  crew  of  the  American  ship  Lubra. 

At  this  time,  there  was  a  growing  alarm  among  the  mass  of  the 
people  at  the  determined  efforts  of  the  missionaries  to  make  converts  to 
their  creeds.  In  some  of  the  provinces  reports  were  circulated  that  the 
Catholic  missionaries  were  in  the  habit  of  kidnapping  and  murdering 


FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION.  123 

children,  in  order  to  make  medicine  from  their  eyeballs.  Eidiculous  as 
the  story  was,  it  found  ready  credence  among  the  ignorant  people.  In 
a  number  of  the  provinces  placards  were  posted  denouncing  the  inter- 
ference with  established  customs,  and  calling  upon  loyal  subjects  to 
band  together  for  the  extermination  of  the  missionaries.  The  following 
is  an  example  of  the  character  of  these  manifestoes: 

"Those  who  have  come  to  propagate  religion,  enticing  and  deluding 
the  ignorant  masses,  print  and  circulate  depraved  compositions,  daring, 
by  their  deceptive  extravagancies,  to  set  loose  the  established  bonds 
of  society,  utterl}^  regardless  of  all  modesty.  *  *  *  Although  the 
adherents  of  the  religion  only  worship  Jesus,  yet,  being  divided  into  the 
two  sects  of  Roman  Catholics  and  Protestants,  they  are  continually 
railing  at  each  other.  *  «  *  Daughters  in  a  family  are  not  given 
in  marriage,  but  retained  for  the  disposition  of  the  bishop,  thus  ignoring 
the  matrimonial  relation."  Many  other  enormities  are  charged  against 
the  promulgators  of  the  Christian  creed,  and  the  people  are  exhorted 
to  rise  in  their  might  "that  the  offenders  may  be  hurled  beyond  the 
seas  to  take  their  place  with  the  strange  things  of  creation." 

A  number  of  acts  of  violence  were  committed  on  the  missionaries 
and  their  converts  in  several  provinces,  but  through  the  efforts  of  the 
French  minister  were  finally  suppressed.  At  Tien-tsin,  however,  the 
affair  was  of  a  more  serious  nature,  and  the  particular  object  of  hatred 
was  an  orphanage  which  had  been  opened  by  some  sisters  of  charity. 
On  the  morning  of  June  21,  the  mob  broke  into  the  French  consulate, 
and  murdered  six  persons,  including  the  consul,  two  Frenchmen  and 
their  wives,  and  a  priest.  The  rioters  then  set  fire  to  the  French  cathe- 
dral, and,  while  it  was  still  in  flames,  broke  into  the  hospital  connected 
with  the  orphanage,  murdered  and  mutilated  all  the  sisters,  smothered 
nearly  forty  children,  and  carried  off  a  number  of  men  and  women  to 
prisons,  where  they  were  subjected  to  tortures  of  the  most  horrible 
kind. 

These  outrages  called  forth  from  the  French  government  deter- 
mined protests,  and  the  Chinese  government,  alarmed  for  the  conse- 
quences, made  the  most  abject  apologies.  The  prefect  and  the  district 
magistrate  were  severely  punished,  and  twenty  of  the  leaders  of  the 
mob  were  subsequently  executed. 

The  year  1867  witnessed  a  struggle  between  the  government  and 
bands  of  rebels  in  the  north.    The  imperial  troops  were  several  times 


124  FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 

defeated,  and  at  one  time  it  was  feared  that  even  Peking  might  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Extracts  from  the  following  imperial  edict, 
copied  from  the  Peking  Gazette,  show  that  the  emperor  was  alarmed 
at  the  results  of  these  battles.  "Last  year,  when  the  Nien-fei  rebels 
forced  their  way  from  Ho-nan  into  Hu-pi,  we  repeatedly  ordered  Li 
Hung  Chang  and  Tseng  Kno-chaun,  with  the  whole  available  force,  to 
attack  them  with  vigor,  and  we  were  in  expectation  of  hearing  that 
they  had  been  annihilated  on  the  spot  and  their  rebellious  spirit  quelled 
forever.  But  what  effectual  resistance  have  they  encountered?  The 
high  civil  officials  in  the  different  provinces  and  those  in  command  of 
the  troops  are  always  talking  of  the  preparations  they  are  making  to 
withstand  and  crush  the  robbers,  but  what  is  the  disgusting  reality? 

"When  the  rebels  approach,  these  officers  form  no  properly  defined 
plan  of  resistance;  and  when  they  retire,  they  consider  they  have 
achieved  their  object,  if  they  can  only  get  them  out  of  their  own  juris- 
dictions, and  in  the  meantime  the  treasury  is  drained  and  the  people 
oppressed  without  end.  When  will  the  bands  of  these  Nien-fei,  now 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  kingdom,  be  subdued? 

"We  have  already  handed  over  to  the  board  Tuig  Peo-chen,  that  he 
may  receive  the  severest  punishment  that  the  law  allows,  for  his  recent 
loss  of  the  river  wall,  and  have  ordered  the  execution,  in  the  presence 
of  the  whole  army,  of  Chu  Wan-mei,  the  officer  in  command  of  the  gar- 
rison. 

"We  now  command  that  Tseng  Kno-chuan,  governor  of  Hu-peh,  be 
deprived  of  his  official  button,  and  that,  in  company  with  Li  Huo-nien, 
governor  of  Ho-nan,  his  punishment  be  before  all  others  adjudged  by 
the  board,  that  all  may  know  the  lightness  of  the  sentence  hereby 
awarded. 

"We  also  command  Li  Hung  Chang  strictly  to  inquire  into  and  re- 
port to  the  throne  the  names  of  the  several  officers  who  by  their  feeble 
opposition  allowed  the  rebels  to  escape  them. 

"With  regard  to  Li  Hung  Chang  himself,  he  has  certainly  abused 
the  trust  imposed  in  him  by  his  sovereign;  we  therefore  order  him,  in 
expiation  of  his  present  disgrace,  to  win  renown  for  himself  by  at  once 
taking  active  command  of  the  troops,  and  leading  them  into  Shan-rung, 
where,  in  conjunction  with  others,  he  must  scour  the  country  and 
stamp  out  the  smallest  spark  of  rebellion  existing  there.  Any  subse- 
quent failure  to  cope  with  the  manoeuvres  of  the  rebels  will  draw 


FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION.  125 

down  on  the  aforesaid  commissioner  and  governor  punishment  so  heavy 
that  they  will  find  it  difficult  to  bear  up  against  it.    Tremble  and  obey." 

Mr.  Anson  Burlingame,  the  United  States  minister  at  Peking,  was 
announced,  in  November,  1867,  in  an  imperial  decree,  as  a  special  com- 
missioner to  the  treaty  powers,  for  the  purpose  of  revising  the  treaties 
between  the  Chinese  government  and  the  nations  with  whom  they  had 
been  made.  Mr.  Burlingame  accepted  the  appointment  and  through 
his  influence  in  Washington,  in  Paris,  and  at  the  court  of  St.  James, 
he  succeeded  in  establishing  closer  diplomatic  relations  and  much  more 
friendly  feelings  towards  the  Chinese  nation  than  had  been  felt  prior 
to  the  time  of  his  arrival.  New  treaties  between  China  and  the  United 
States,  England  and  Austria,  were  signed  and  received  the  imperial 
sanction  in  1869,  and  the  last  mentioned  nation  then  became  possessed 
of  virtually  the  same  rights  that  the  others  at  that  time  enjoyed. 

The  emperor  was  so  well  satisfied  with  Mr.  Burlingame's  work  that 
he  extended  his  term  of  service  two  years,  and  the  sum  of  |140,000  in 
gold  was  appropriated  for  the  expenses  of  his  mission.  In  January, 
1870,  he  concluded  a  treaty  with  the  North  German  confederation;  and 
then  went  to  St.  Petersburg,  where  he  was  received  with  the  greatest 
consideration ;  but  a  sudden  and  fatal  illness  came  to  him  before  he  had 
accomjjlished  any  tangible  results  at  this  capital. 

The  Chinese  government  now  gave  every  indication  of  having  most 
kindly  feelings  towards  the  nations  of  the  world,  but  the  masses  of  the 
people  showed  on  every  possible  occasion  their  hatred  for  the  "foreign 
devils,"  and  outrages  and  massacres  were  of  constant  occurrence.  The 
authorities  at  Peking  seemed  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  put  a  stop  to 
these  outbreaks,  and  quickly  made  whatever  reparation  possible,  but 
owing  to  the  prejudices  of  the  local  mandarins,  and  the  ignorance  of  the 
people  there  has  never  been  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  empire  when  a 
foreigner  could  feel  a  sense  of  absolute  security  when  away  from  the 
treaty  ports. 

The  Mahometan  rebels  under  Suleiman  still  kept  the  imperial  forces 
at  bay,  and  the  government  seemed  careless  to  take  active  measures 
against  them,  until  in  1872  Prince  Hassan,  the  adopted  son  of  Suleiman, 
was  sent  on  a  mission  to  England  with  the  object  of  gaining  the  recog- 
nition of  the  queen  for  his  father's  government.  This  step  at  once 
aroused  the  susceptibilities  of  the  imperial  government,  and  a  large 
force  was  instantly  organized  and  despatched  to  the  scene  of  the  rebel- 


126  FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION, 

lion.  The  war  was  now  pushed  on  with  vigor,  and  before  the  year  was 
out  the  Mahometan  capital  Ta-le  Foo  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  im- 
perialists, and  the  follov>^ers  of  Suleiman  at  that  place  and  throughout 
the  province  were  mercilessly  exterminated. 

On  February  23,  1873,  Tung-che,  eldest  son  of  Heen-fung,  attained 
his  majority,  and  assumed  the  throne.  The  government  since  his  fath- 
er's death  had  been  in  the  hands  of  his  mother,  who  had  appointed  Jih- 
su,  Prince  of  Kong,  the  head  of  the  council  of  ministers  and  regent  of 
the  empire.  A  great  concession  to  the  foreign  ministers  was  made  by 
Tung-che,  for  when  they  gave  notice  of  their  desire  for  an  audience, 
without  being  compelled  to  undergo  the  servile  ceremonies  which  had 
been  demanded  in  the  past,  the  request  was  granted,  the  Kowtow  was 
done  away  with,  and  a  ceremonial  was  agreed  upon  to  which  they  took 
no  exception.  The  Japanese  minister  was  honored  by  a  private  audi- 
ence; and  after  him  came  the  representatives  of  the  United  States, 
Great  Britain,  France,  Russia,  and  the  Netherlands  in  a  body.  Formal 
addresses  were  made  by  the  Russian  minister,  representing  the  diplo- 
matic corps,  and  by  the  emperor,  in  the  presence  of  some  800  mandarins. 
Thus  for  the  first  time  the  representatives  of  the  treaty  nations  were 
allowed  to  gaze  upon  the  "sacred  countenance,"  and  one  more  barrier 
that  stood  in  the  way  of  a  thorough  understanding  between  China  and 
the  world  was  removed. 

In  1875,  the  dreaded  small-pox  made  great  ravages  in  Peking,  and 
among  the  victims  was  the  Emperor  Tung-che,  who  died  on  January  12. 
The  empress  survived  him  but  a  short  time,  and  in  the  following  March 
she  died.  The  Shanghai  Courier  and  Gazette  said  that  her  early  death 
was  entirely  in  accordance  with  the  national  idea  of  what  is  most  fit- 
ting for  a  wife  so  bereaved,  and  that  her  memory  would  possibly  acquire 
a  sanctity  in  Chinese  eyes  from  the  fact  of  her  having  followed  her  lord 
within  so  short  a  period;  the  event  being  already  attributed  to  her 
regrets,  as  it  was  said  that  she  suffered  from  no  definite  disease.  An- 
other report  stated  that  the  circumstances  of  her  death  aroused  gen- 
eral suspicion  concerning  its  cause,  and  that  there  was  but  little  at- 
tempt to  conceal  the  fear  of  complications  in  case  her  expected  child 
should  be  a  son  led  to  the  sacrifice  of  her  life. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Ching  dynasty  the  throne  was 
left  without  a  direct  heir.  Tsai-teen,  a  child  less  than  four  years  of  age, 
a  cousin  of  the  late  emperor,  was  enthroned  on  February  25,  under  the 


FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION.  127 

reigning  name  of  Kwang-seu,  or  "Succession  of  Glory."  The  regency 
remained  to  Prince  Kiing  and  the  two  empress-dowagers,  and  Li  Hung 
Chang  was  made  the  prime  minister  of  the  government. 

Four  additional  ports  were  opened  to  foreign  commerce  during  the 
3^ear  1876,  namely:  Kuing-chau,  on  the  island  of  Hainan;  Wanchau; 
Wuhu,  on  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  river,  above  Nanking;  and  Ichang,  on 
the  upper  Yang-tsze  Kiang,  360  miles  further  into  the  interior  of  China 
than  the  trading  vessels  had  been  allowed  to  come  prior  to  this  time., 

On  June  30,  1876,  occurred  the  inauguration  of  the  first  railway  line 
in  the  "Flowery  Kingdom."  On  that  date  trains  were  run  between 
Shanghai  and  Wusung,  a  distance  of  eleven  miles,  and  in  spite  of  oppo- 
sition both  from  the  government  and  from  the  people,  it  gradually  grew 
in  popularity,  and  soon  became  a  profitable  investment.  But  the  author- 
ities at  Peking  would  not  be  forced  to  accept  innovations  of  this  char- 
acter, and  finally  succeeded  in  having  the  line  abandoned. 

During  the  year  1877  a  terrible  famine  prevailed  in  the  north  and 
east  parts  of  the  empire.  A  severe  drought  in  the  previous  summer 
destroyed  the  crops  in  those  sections,  and  the  people  were  soon  reduced 
to  absolute  want.  As  the  year  advanced  the  suffering  increased  and 
countless  thousands  died  from  starvation  and  the  famine  fever  which 
followed  in  its  wake.  The  foreigners  at  the  treaty  ports  contributed 
liberally  for  the  alleviation  of  the  unfortunate  people,  and  the  govern- 
ment showed  its  appreciation  of  this  humane  action  by  sending  the  fol- 
lowing acknowledgment  to  the  resident  foreign  ministers: 

"We  have  recently  noticed  a  statement  in  the  newspapers  that  the 
foreigners  of  all  nationalities  have  raised  contributions,  which  have 
been  sent  for  distribution  to  the  famine  districts  of  Shan-tung,  to  the 
relief  of  the  suiferers,  thus  manifesting  their  delight  to  do  good  and 
grant  aid  to  all  men  without  regard  to  race.  We  have  been  exceedingly 
gratified  at  what  we  have  heard,  and  now  beg  to  return  to  them,  through 
you,  our  expression  of  appreciation  and  thanks." 

A  horrible  accident  occurred  at  Tien-tsin  in  January,  1878,  when  a 
hospital  for  the  shelter  of  refugees  from  the  famine  stricken  districts 
was  burned  to  the  ground,  and  1,400  women  and  children  lost  their 
lives  in  the  conflagration. 

In  May,  1879,  General  Grant  reached  China,  during  the  course  of 
his  journey  around  the  world.  He  was  received  as  no  other  foreigner 
has  been  either  before  or  since.    He  was  the  honored  guest  at  banquets 


128  FOREIGN  WAR  AND  INTERNAL  REBELLION. 

given  by  the  leading  officials,  and  all  seemed  delighted  to  do  him  honor. 

The  claim  of  the  Chinese  government  to  suzerainty  over  the  Anna- 
mite  dominion,  and  especially  over  the  province  of  Tonkin,  was  disputed 
in  1882  by  France,  the  latter  nation  claiming  a  protectorate  under  the 
terms  of  a  former  treaty.  This  led  to  a  diplomatic  war  between  the  two 
nations,  and  a  military  campaign  followed,  in  which  the  French  suffered 
great  losses  through  sickness,  brought  on  by  bad  water  and  exposure. 
By  the  beginning  of  1884,  the  two  countries  were  in  a  state  of  "unofficial 
war."  The  capture  of  Bacninh  by  the  French  produced  a  sweeping 
change  in  the  Chinese  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  war,  and  en- 
abled Li  Hung  Chang  to  convince  the  empress  of  the  advisability  of 
coming  to  terms  with  the  French,  who  were  preparing  for  a  blow  at 
Canton,  and  the  occupation  of  Formosa  or  Hainan,  as  a  pledge  for  the 
payment  of  an  enormous  indemnity. 

Negotiations  were  informally  begun  and  the  Chinese  were  given  to 
understand  that  France  would  not  press  her  claims  for  the  indemnity  if 
the  protectorate  over  Tonkin  were  acknowledged,  and  the  Chinese  gar- 
rison withdrawn.  Just  as  these  negotiations  were  about  to  be  brought 
to  a.  successful  issue,  the  trouble  broke  out  anew,  each  army  claiming 
bad  faith  on  the  part  of  the  other. 

The  following  year  saw  several  engagements  between  the  opposing 
forces,  both  on  land  and  sea.  China,  in  the  improved  state  of  her  army 
and  coast  defences,  was  better  prepared  to  continue  the  struggle,  not- 
withstanding the  emptiness  of  the  imperial  treasury,  than  was  the  gov- 
ernment of  France  at  this  time.  The  treaty  which  was  finally  signed 
by  the  representatives  of  the  two  nations  left  the  historical  claim  of 
China  to  suzerainty  over  Tonkin  exactly  where  it  was,  and  gave  France 
a  free  hand  in  the  establishment  of  her  protectorate. 

The  ten  years  following  possess  little  historic  interest  in  China. 
The  people  continued  to  hold  strong  prejudices  against  the  missionaries, 
and  attacks  upon  the  "foreign  devils"  were  frequent  and  often  serious. 
Bands  of  rebels  in  the  northern  and  western  provinces,  and  in  Formosa, 
gave  the  amry  considerable  trouble,  but  there  were  no  general  uprisings. 
While  the  government  still  seemed  determined  to  prevent,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  building  of  railroads  in  the  empire,  the  objection  to  tele- 
graph lines  was  not  so  pronounced,  and  a  number  of  lines  were  con- 
structed, notably  one  from  Shanghai  to  Peking,  thus  connecting  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  with  the  western  civilized  world. 


nj  >i 

a-o 

a 

m  <" 

.~  i. 

u  >. 

OJ'— 

•as 

.«_*  O) 

o  > 

<u 

53 

o 

^CS 

—   <D 

XJ-w 

r£  <u 

-£ 

•O  bfl 

"o  - 

^s 

,  =« 

O   0, 

^  t. 

n 

"S 

^  >. 

m^ 

CO 

x:  a) 

in 

u>  C3 

(fi  a 

a; 

al  « 

35 

0*^ 

etfft 

xia 

5^ 

< 

^^ 

r< 

S5 

0 

5^ 

St 

X)t 

^ 

-«-)  ^ 

O 

O  (U 

<!   .S' 


•55 


M        0) 

K*      a! 


W    2 


CHAPTER  VII. 
GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

Divisions  of  the  Provinces — The  Walled  Cities — Names  of  the  Streets— Methods  of  Fighting 
Fire — Great  Centers  of  Population — Canton,  the  Metropolis — Dwellers  in  Houseboats — 
Peliing,  the  Capital— Its  History— Its  Great  Walls— The  Purple  Forbidden  City— The 
Temple  of  Heaven — Shanghai,  a  Great  Commercial  Port — Yictoria,  the  English  City  on  the 
Island  of  Hong  Kong— Nanking,  the  "Southern  Capital"— Tien-tsin,  Hang-chau,  Amoy, 
Macao,  Yun-nan — Treaty  Ports  of  the  Empire. 

EACH  of  the  eighteen  provinces  of  the  empire  of  China  is  sub- 
divided into  poos,  districts,  or  counties,  and  prefectures  or 
departments.  A  poo,  the  capital  of  which  is  a  market-town, 
consists  of  a  number  of  towns  and  villages;  a  district  or 
county,  the  capital  of  which  is  a  walled  city,  consists  of  a  number  of 
poos;  a  prefecture  or  department,  the  capital  of  which  is  also  a  walled 
city,  consists  of  a  number  of  districts  or  counties,  and  a  province,  the 
capital  of  which  is  also  a  walled  city,  consists  of  a  number  of  prefectures. 
There  are  upwards  of  4,000  of  these  walled  cities  in  China,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  form  a  close  estimate  as  to  the  number  of  market-towns 
and  villages  scattered  over  the  empire. 

The  walls  which  enclose  these  county,  prefectoral,  and  provincial 
capital  cities  are  from  thirty  to  fifty  or  sixty  feet  high.  They  are  works 
of  great  magnitude,  and  are  remarkable  both  for  the  extent  of  their 
circumference  and  their  massive  appearance.  Their  width  in  most  in- 
stances is  such  as  to  allow  space  on  them  for  two  carriages  travelling 
abreast.  In  consequence  of  their  great  antiquity,  the  walls  of  many  of 
the  northern  cities  are  neglected  and  dilapidated,  but  those  by  which 
the  more  important  places  are  enclosed  are  in  a  perfect  condition,  and 
as  a  matter  of  course  receive  constant  care. 

On  every  side  of  the  walls  of  each  city  there  are  large  folding  gates 
of  great  strength,  and  these  are  further  secured  by  equally  massive  in- 
ner gates.  The  south  gate  is  held  in  honor  above  all  the  others,  as  it  Is 
called  the  emperor's  gate,  and  through  it  enter  all  the  officials  of  the 
city.  The  south  gate  of  the  capital  of  the  empire  is  regarded  as  so 
sacred  that  it  is  usually  kept  closed,  and  only  opened  when  the  emperor 
himself  has  occasion  to  pass  that  way. 

133 


184  GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

The  names  which  the  Chinese  give  to  the  streets  of  their  cities  are 
generally  very  high-sounding.  Thus  we  have  the  Street  of  Golden 
Profits;  the  Street  of  Benevolence  and  Jjoxe;  the  Street  of  Everlasting 
Love;  the  Street  of  Longevity;  the  Street  of  One  Hundred  Grandsons; 
the  Street  of  One  Thousand  Grandsons;  the  Street  of  Saluting 
Dragons;  the  Street  of  Sweeping  Dragon;  the  Street  of  the  Reposing 
Dragon;  the  Street  of  Refreshing  Breezes;  the  Street  of  One  Thousand 
Beatitudes;  the  Street  of  a  Thousandfold  Peace;  the  Street  of  Five 
Happinesses;  the  Street  of  Ten  Thousand  Happinesses;  the  Street  of 
Manifold  Brightness;  the  Street  of  Accumulated  Goodness. 

To  save  their  cities  from  destructive  fires,  the  Chinese  observe  many 
necessary  precautions.  In  the  streets  wells  are  sunk,  which  are  called 
Taiping-tsieng,  or  great  peace  wells.  They  contain  abundant  supplies 
of  water,  and  over  the  mouth  of  each  a  stone  slab  is  placed,  which  is 
only  removed  when  a  house  in  the  vicinity  is  on  fire.  It  is  provided  by 
law  that  there  shall  be  placed  in  various  parts  of  the  cities  large  tubs 
to  be  kept  at  all  times  full  of  water.  On  the  sides  of  each  of  these  ves- 
sels is  written  in  large  letters  the  words  "peace  tubs."  It  is  not  unusual 
for  the  Chinese  to  place  jars  containing  water  on  the  tops  of  their  houses, 
so  that  they  may  at  any  time  be  prepared  to  suppress  incipient  fires. 
In  each  large  city  there  are  several  fire  brigades,  maintained  entirely 
by  the  contributions  of  the  citizens.  The  engines,  water  buckets,  and 
lanterns  belonging  to  these  companies  are  usually  kept  in  the  temples, 
and  each  brigade  is  distinguished  by  a  peculiar  name. 

The  Chinese  empire  has  within  its  borders  more  great  cities  than 
any  other  country  in  the  world.  Not  less  than  six  of  these  claim  a  pop- 
ulation of  more  than  half  a.  million  each,  and  twice  that  number  are 
said  to  contain  over  100,000  inhabitants,  inside  their  walls.  Charac- 
teristic features  and  municipal  arrangements  vary  in  such  a  marked 
degree  in  the  different  cities  that  there  are  comparatively  few  subjects 
upon  which  a  general  description  would  apply.  In  the  following  pages 
of  this  chapter  will  be  found  mention  of  the  more  important  centers  of 
population. 

The  largest  city  in  China,  and  one  of  the  largest  on  the  globe,  is 
Kuang-chou  Fu,  or,  as  it  is  known  to  the  western  world.  Canton,  which 
is  the  home  of  over  2,500,000  people.  This  great  and  prosperous  place 
is  situated  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Pearl  river,  at  a  distance  of  about 
eighty  miles  from  the  sea.    When  viewed  from  the  hills  on  the  north  vt 


GBEAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  135 

appears  to  be  little  more  than  an  expanse  of  reddish  roofs  relieved  by 
a  few  large  trees,  two  pagodas  shooting  up  within  the  walls,  and  a 
five-storied  tower  near  the  north  gate,  being  the  most  conspicuous  ob- 
jects. These  hills  rise  1,200  feet  above  the  river,  and  their  acclivities, 
covered  for  miles  with  graves  and  tombs,  serve  as  the  necropolis  for  the 
vast  city. 

The  part  of  Canton  enclosed  by  walls  is  about  six  miles  in  circum- 
ference, and  has  a  partition  wall  running  east  and  west,  dividing  the 
city  into  two  unequal  parts.  The  northern  and  larger  division  is  called 
the  old,  and  the  southern  the  new  city.  On  the  north  side  the  wall  rises 
to  include  a  hill  which  it  there  meets,  and  on  the  other  three  sides  the 
city  is  surrounded  by  a  ditch,  which  is  filled  by  the  rising  tide,  when, 
for  a  time,  the  mass  of  filth  which  lies  in  its  bed  is  concealed  from  view. 
There  are  twelve  outer  gates,  four  of  which  are  in  the  partition  wall, 
and  two  water  gates,  through  which  boats  pass  from  east  to  west  across 
the  new  city.  The  gates  are  all  shut  at  night,  and  in  the  daytime  a 
guard  is  stationed  at  them  to  preserve  order. 

The  streets,  amounting  in  all  to  upwards  of  600,  are  long,  straight, 
and  very  narrow.  They  are  mostly  paved,  and  are  not  as  dirty  as  those 
of  some  of  the  other  cities  in  the  empire;  in  fact,  considering  the  habits 
of  the  people  and  the  inattention  of  the  government  to  these  matters, 
Canton  may  be  said  to  be  an  orderly  and  comparatively  clean  city.  The 
houses  are  in  general  small,  seldom  consisting  of  more  than  two  stories, 
the  ground  floor  serving  as  a  shop  in  which  goods  are  exhibited  for  sale, 
and  the  rest  of  the  house,  with  the  court  beyond,  being  used  as  a  ware- 
house. Here  are  to  be  found  the  productions  of  every  quarter  of  the 
globe;  and  the  merchants  are  as  a  rule  extremely  attentive  and  civil. 

The  temples  and  public  buildings  are  numerous,  but  none  of  them 
present  features  worthy  of  special  remark.  There  are  two  pagodas  near 
the  west  gate  of  the  old  city,  and  124  temples,  pavilions,  halls  and  other 
religious  edifices  within  the  city.  These  temples  are  gloomy  looking 
structures,  and  the  areas  in  front  of  them  are  usually  occupied  by  huck- 
sters, beggars  and  idlers,  who  are  occasionally  driven  off  to  make  room 
for  the  mat-sheds,  in  which  theatrical  performances  are  given. 

For  the  space  of  four  or  five  miles  opposite  Canton  boats  and  ves- 
sels are  ranged  parallel  to  each  other  in  such  close  order  that  it  re- 
sembles a  floating  city;  and  these  marine  dwellings  are  occupied  by 
numerous  families  who  constantly  reside  on  the  water.    In  the  middle 


136  OREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

of  the  river  lie  the  Chinese  junks,  some  of  them  from  600  to  1,000  tons 
burden,  which  trade  to  the  north  and  to  the  Straits  Settlements. 

Formerly  only  a  limited  number  of  merchants,  called  the  hong  or 
security  merchants,  were  allowed  to  trade  with  foreigners.  They  were 
commonly  men  of  large  property,  and  were  famed  for  integrity  in  their 
transactions.  All  foreign  cargoes  passed  through  the  hands  of  these 
merchants,  and  the  return  cargoes  were  furnished  by  them.  They  be- 
came security  for  the  payment  of  customs  duties,  and  it  was  criminal 
for  any  other  merchant  to  engage  in  the  trade  with  foreigners.  This 
manner  of  doing  business  is  now  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  commercial 
regulations  at  Canton  are  similar  to  those  of  other  foreign  ports. 

The  climate  of  the  city  is  much  more  pleasant  than  that  of  most 
places  situated  between  the  tropics.  The  extreme  range  of  the  ther- 
mometer is  from  38°  to  100°  Fahr.,  though  these  extremes  are  rarely 
reached.  In  ordinary  years  the  winter  minimum  is  about  42°,  and  the 
maximum  in  summer  is  96°.  The  hot  season  lasts  from  May  to  Octo- 
ber, and  during  the  rest  of  the  year  the  weather  is  cool. 

Provisions  and  refreshments  of  all  kinds  are  abundant,  and  gener- 
ally speaking  are  excellent  in  quality  and  moderate  in  price.  Among 
the  delicacies  in  the  Canton  markets  are  to  be  seen  horse-flesh,  dogs, 
cats,  hawks,  owls,  and  edible  birds'-nests.  The  business  between  for- 
eigners and  natives  is  generally  transacted  in  a  jargon  known  as  "Pigeon 
English,"  the  Chinese  being  extremely  ready  to  acquire  a  sufficient 
smattering  of  English  words  to  render  themselves  intelligible. 

Peking,  the  capital  of  the  Chinese  empire,  is  situated  at  the  north 
extremity  of  the  great  alluvial  delta  which  extends  southward  from  its 
walls  for  700  miles.  Under  various  names  and  under  the  domination  of 
successive  dynasties,  it  has,  with  some  short  intervals,  remained  an 
imperial  city.  Its  situation  near  the  northern  frontier  recommended 
it  to  the  Tartar  invaders  as  a  convenient  center  for  their  power,  and  its 
peculiarly  fortunate  position  as  regards  the  supposed  supernatural  ter- 
restrial influences  pertaining  to  it  has  inclined  succeeding  Chinese 
monarchs  to  accept  it  as  the  seat  of  their  courts. 

In  986  it  was  taken  by  an  invading  force  of  Khitan  Tartars,  who 
adopted  it  as  their  headquarters,  and  named  it  Nanking,  or  the  "south- 
em  capital."  During  the  early  part  of  the  twelfth  century  the  Chinese 
recaptured  it  and  reduced  it  from  the  rank  of  a  metropolis  to  that  of  a 
provincial  city  of  the  first  grade,  and  called  it  Yen-shan  Fu.    In  1151  it 


GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  137 

fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Kin  Tartars,  who  made  it  a  royal  residence 
under  the  name  of  Chimg-tu,  or  "central  capital."  Less  than  a  century 
later  it  became  the  prize  of  Ghengiz  Khan,  who,  having  his  main  inter- 
ests centered  on  the  Mongolian  steppes,  declined  to  move  his  court 
southward. 

To  his  great  successor  Kublai  Khan  (1270-1294),  however,  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  capital  within  the  frontiers  of  China  became  a  necessity, 
and,  following  the  example  set  him  by  preceding  sovereigns,  he  made 
choice  of  Yenking,  as  he  rechristened  the  city.  With  his  usual  magnifi- 
cence, he  rebuilt  the  town,  which  became  known  in  Chinese  as  Ta-tu, 
or  "great  capital,"  and  in  the  Mongolian  as  Khanbalik,  or  "city  of  the 
Khan."  During  the  reign  of  the  first  emperor  of  the  dynasty  (1368- 
1399),  which  succeeded  that  founded  by  Ghengiz  Khan,  the  court  re- 
sided at  the  modern  Nanking,  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  succeeding  sover- 
eign, Yung-lo  (1403-1425),  the  political  advantages  of  a  northern  capital 
appeared  so  obvious  that  he  transferred  his  court  to  Peking,  "the  north- 
ern capital,"  and  it  has  ever  since  been  the  seat  of  government. 

During  the  periods  above  mentioned  the  extent  and  boundaries  of 
the  city  varied  considerably,  but  Peking  as  it  stands  today  consists  of 
two  parts,  the  inner  city,  commonly  known  to  foreigners  as  the  "Tar- 
tar city,"  and  the  outer  city,  known  in  the  same  way  as  the  "Chinese 
city."  These  names  are  somewhat  misleading,  as  the  inner  city  is  not 
enclosed  within  the  outer  city,  but  adjoins  its  north  wall,  which,  being 
longer  than  the  inner  city  is  wide,  outflanks  it  considerably  at  both 
ends.  The  outer  walls  of  the  double  city  contain  an  area  of  about  twen- 
ty-five square  miles,  and  measure  thirty  miles  in  circumference.  The 
walls  of  the  Tartar  portion  are  fifty  feet  high,  with  a  width  of  twenty- 
five  feet  at  the  base  and  fifteen  feet  at  the  top.  The  outer  faces  of  the 
walls  are  strengthened  by  square  buttresses  built  out  at  intervals  of 
180  feet,  and  on  the  summits  of  these  stand  the  guardhouses  for  the 
troops  on  duty. 

The  population  of  Peking  is  estimated  at  something  over  1,000,000, 
a  number  which  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  immense  area  enclosed 
within  its  walls.  This  disparity  is  partly  accounted  for  by  the  facts  that 
large  spaces,  notably  in  the  Chinese  city,  are  not  built  over,  and  that 
the  grounds  surrounding  the  imperial  palace,  private  residences,  and 
temples,  are  very  extensive.  Viewed  from  the  walls  Peking  looks  like 
a  city  of  gardens.    Few  crowded  neighborhoods  are  visible,  and  the 


138  GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

characteristic  features  of  the  scene  which  meets  the  eye  are  the  up- 
turned roofs  of  temples,  palaces,  and  mansions,  gay  with  blue,  green 
and  yellow  glazed  tiles,  glittering  among  the  groves  of  trees  with  which 
the  city  abounds. 

Enclosed  within  the  "Tartar  city"  is  the  "Imperial  city,"  which  in 
its  turn  encloses  the  "Purple  Forbidden  city,"  in  which  stands  the  em- 
peror's palace,  where,  in  halls  which  for  the  magnificence  of  their  pro- 
portions and  barbaric  splendor  are  probably  not  to  be  surpassed  any- 
where, the  "Son  of  Heaven"  holds  his  court,  gives  audience  to  ambassa- 
dors from  tributary  states,  and  receives  the  congratulations  of  his  min- 
isters at  the  annual  seasons  of  rejoicing.  In  the  eastern  and  western 
portions  of  this  city  are  situated  the  residences  of  the  highest  dignita- 
ries of  the  empire;  while  beyond  its  confines  on  the  south  stand  the 
offices  of  the  six  official  boards  which  direct  the  affairs  of  the  eighteen 
provinces. 

Outside  the  purple  forbidden  city  the  most  noteworthy  building 
is  the  Temple  of  Heaven,  which  stands  in  the  outer  Chinese  city.  Here 
at  early  morn  on  the  22nd  of  December  the  emperor  offers  sacrifice  on 
an  open  altar  to  Shang-ti,  and  at  periods  of  drouth  or  famine  presents 
prayers  for  relief  to  the  same  supreme  deity.  The  altar  at  which  these 
solemn  rites  are  performed  "consists  of  a  triple  circular  marble  terrace, 
210  feet  wide  at  the  base,  150  in  the  middle,  and  ninety  at  the  top." 
The  uppermost  surface  is  paved  with  blocks  of  the  same  material  form- 
ing nine  concentric  circles,  the  innermost  consisting  of  nine  blocks,  and 
that  on  the  outside  of  eighty-one  blocks.  In  the  same  temple  stands 
the  altar  of  prayer  for  good  harvests,  which  is  surmounted  by  a  triple- 
roofed  circular  structure  of  ninety-nine  feet  in  height.  The  tiles  of 
these  roofs  are  of  glazed  porcelain  of  the  most  exquisite  deep  blue  color, 
and  add  a  conspicuous  element  of  splendor  to  the  shrine,  which  even 
without  their  aid  would  inspire  admiration  by  the  grace  of  the  design 
and  the  rare  beauty  of  the  materials  employed  in  its  construction. 

The  other  powers  of  nature  have  shrines  dedicated  to  them  at  the 
altar  to  Earth  on  the  north  of  the  city,  the  altars  to  the  Sun  and  Moon 
outside  the  north-east  and  north-west  angles  respectively  of  the  Chinese 
city,  and  the  altar  to  Agriculture  inside  the  south  gate  of  the  Chinese 
city. 

Unlike  the  thoroughfares  of  the  cities  of  central  and  southern  China, 
the  streets  of  Peking  are  wide  and  open,  but,  being  unpaved,  and  the 


GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  139 

soil  being  light  and  alluvial,  they  easily  become  almost  impassable  from 
mud  in  wet  weather  and  ankle  deep  in  dust  in  dry  weather.  The  in- 
habitants of  Peking  being  consumers  only,  and  in  no  way  producers, 
the  trade  of  the  city  is  comparatively  small,  and  the  article  of  the  treaties 
which  forbids  foreign  merchants  from  trading  within  its  walls  is,  there- 
fore, to  be  regretted  only  as  an  instance  of  the  narrow  mindedness  of 
the  Chinese  government. 

The  city  of  Shanghai  stands  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Huang-pu 
river,  about  twelve  miles  from  the  point  where  it  empties  itself  into 
the  estuary  of  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang.  The  walls  which  surround  the  city 
are  about  three  and  one-half  miles  in  circumference,  and  are  pierced 
by  seven  gates.  The  streets  and  thoroughfares  may  be  said  to  illustrate 
all  the  worst  features  of  Chinese  cities — dirt,  closeness,  and  absence  of 
all  sanitary  arrangements;  while  the  want  of  any  building  of  archi- 
tectural or  antiquarian  interest  robs  the  city  of  any  redeeming  traits, 
except  from  a  utilitarian  point  of  view. 

Situated  in  the  extreme  eastern  portion  of  the  province  of  Kiang- 
su,  and  possessing  a  good  and  commodious  anchorage,  as  well  as  an 
easy  access  to  the  ocean,  it  forms  the  principal  port  of  central  China. 
From  the  western  wall  of  the  city  there  stretches  away  a  rich  alluvial 
plain  extending  over  45,000  square  miles,  which  is  intersected  by  numer- 
ous waterways  and  great  chains  of  lakes.  Tlie  products  of  this  fertile 
district,  as  well  as  the  teas  and  silks  of  more  distant  regions,  find  their 
natural  outlet  at  Shanghai.  The  looms  of  Suchau  and  the  tea  planta- 
tions of  Gan-hwuy,  together  with  the  rice  of  this  "garden  of  China," 
for  many  years  before  treaty  days  supplied  the  Shanghai  junks  with 
their  richest  freight.  But  though  thus  favorably  situated  as  an  em- 
porium of  trade,  Shanghai  did  not  attract  the  attention  of  foreign  capi- 
talists until  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  1841,  when  the  inhabitants  of 
the  city  purchased  protection  from  the  bombarding  propensities  of 
Admiral  Parker  by  the  payment  of  a  large  ransom.  In  the  Nanking 
treaty,  which  was  signed  in  the  following  year,  Shanghai  was  included 
among  the  four  new  ports  which  were  thrown  open  to  trade  by  the 
terms  of  that  document. 

In  1843  Captain  Balfour  was  appointed  British  consul,  and  it  was 
on  his  motion  that  the  site  of  the  present  English  settlement,  which  lies 
between  the  Suchau  creek,  the  Yang-king  canal,  and  the  river,  was 
chosen.     The  French  and  the  Americans  soon  after  established  them- 


140  GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

selves  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  but  only  a  small  number  of  merchants 
seemed  to  realize  the  opportunities  offered  them  at  Shanghai.  At  the 
end  of  the  first  year  of  its  history  as  an  open  port  the  town  contained 
but  twenty-three  foreign  residents,  and  only  forty-four  foreign  vessels 
had  arrived  at  the  port. 

By  degrees,  however,  its  manifold  advantages  as  a  place  of  trade  at- 
tracted merchants  of  all  nationalities;  and  from  the  banks  of  the  Huang- 
pu  arose  lines  of  hongs  and  handsome  dwelling  houses,  which  have  con- 
verted a  reed-covered  swamp  into  one  of  the  finest  cities  in  the  East. 
The  number  of  foreigners,  other  than  English,  who  took  their  abode  at 
Shanghai  soon  made  it  necessary  to  adopt  a  more  catholic  form  of  gov- 
ernment than  that  supplied  by  an  English  consul  who  had  control  only 
over  British  subjects,  and  by  common  agreement  a  committee  of  resi- 
dents, consisting  of  a  chairman  and  six  members,  was  elected  by  the 
renters  of  land  for  the  purpose  of  general  municipal  administration. 
It  was  expected  when  the  council  was  formed  that  the  three  settlements 
— the  British,  French  and  American — would  have  been  incorporated 
into  one  municipality,  but  international  jealousy  prevented  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  scheme  for  a  time.  Eventually,  however,  the  diflflculties  were 
overcome,  and  the  merchants  have  since  worked  in  harmony  together. 

Victoria  is  the  capital  and  chief  city  of  the  island  of  Hong  Kong, 
which  is  geographically  a  part  of  the  empire  of  China,  but  politically 
a  dependency  of  Great  Britain,  having  been  ceded  to  that  government 
in  1841.  The  city,  which  is  also  frequently  called  Hong  Kong,  is  laid 
out  in  fine  wide  streets  and  terraces,  and  the  buildings,  mostly  of  stone 
and  brick,  are  greatly  superior  to  those  of  a  Chinese  city,  the  merchants' 
houses  being  elegant  and  spacious,  with  broad  verandahs  and  taste- 
ful gardens.  Including  the  Chinese  town,  Victoria  extends  for  three 
miles  along  the  bay,  towards  which  it  slopes  from  the  base  of  the  hills. 

There  are  published  in  Victoria  five  English  newspapers,  two  of 
which  are  daily,  one  Chinese  every  second  day,  and  a  Portuguese  week- 
ly. The  streets  are  guarded  by  a  strong  force  of  Indian  Sepoys,  and 
the  natives  are  not  allowed  to  go  abroad  after  eight  o'clock  at  night 
without  a  pass.  The  common  mode  of  street  conveying  is  in  chairs 
which  are  carried  by  coolies. 

Victoria  is  the  chief  center  of  British  trade  with  China,  and  is  a 
British  naval  and  military  station,  strongly  fortified  and  of  the  first 
rank,  forming  also  the  headquarters  of  the  China  squadron.    There  is 


lii  Hung  Chang 

The  venerable  Chinese  diplomat.     The  wealthiest  man  In  China.     Was  a  great  admirer  of  Gen.  U.  S. 
Grant.     Has  traveled  extensively  in   the  United  States  and   Europe. 


■a 

K 

<D 

0 

!M1 

■S 

J3 

Wl 

ul 

■n 

Bl 

a  cs 

'r 

3 

;i 

a 

n) 

n 

c 

III 

.*z. 

i: 

u 

^ 

H^ 

cs 

rn 

m 

rn 

o 

0) 

>i 

^ 

s: 

CJ 

^ 

- 

-o 

■a 

o 
a 

a 

o 

a: 

<v 

3 

■c 

'!"{ 

o 

*~ 

6  S.2  >^ 

°°^§ 

■5=«tH 

O    ^    0) 

-K-Q  = 

o  a     ^ 

t-  ai  cl 

t.        JC   Oi 

O  o  --^"C 

„        °   5- 

tu—  '    £ 

0 

J5  iJ  ii)  1 

/h 

1«S"g 

« 

M 

"^-,c 

Ph 

.—  a 

£a,«S 

H 

^ 

.-  oiS  to 

eacb  pro 
e  placed, 
open   ecu 
down,   is 

>^ 

a  is^  2 

0 

one 

ates 

jer 

to 

<(i 

isai; 

y^ 

sigfi 

5      ts  c 

<d 

t.^'O  a 

^ 

•c      a"~ 

w 

o£°.2 

1^  CB 

a  jj-o 

Sx:  3  "i* 

Msi 

a 

•^ 

X 

0) 

in 
o 

"oi 

a 

^ 

ai 

CO 

E- 

a 

^ 

a 

cs 

cs 

o 

'^. 

B 

^ 

a 
o 

t-. 

a 

^ 

a 

(M 

r. 

a 

7^ 

O 

— 

n* 

01 

o 

a 

OJ 

3 

GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  143 

no  custom  house  at  Victoria,  the  port  being  free,  and  estimates  regard- 
ing the  value  of  traffic  are  chiefly  made  from  mercantile  returns.  The 
volume  of  trade  with  the  world  for  1898  is  stated  at  |110,552,485.  The 
population  of  the  island  is  given  at  236,382,  and  at  least  three-fourths 
of  this  number  make  their  homes  in  and  around  the  city. 

Nanking,  or  "the  southern  capital,"  is  the  name  by  which  Kiang- 
ning,  the  chief  city  in  the  province  of  Kiang-su  has  been  popularly 
known  for  several  centuries.  The  present  city  dates  only  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Ming  dynasty  (1386),  although  it  is  built  on  the  site  of  one 
which  for  more  than  2,000  years  has  figured  under  various  names  in  the 
history  of  the  empire.  The  more  ancient  city  was  originally  called  Kin- 
lung;  under  the  Han  dynasty  its  name  was  converted  into  Tan-yang; 
by  the  T'ang  emperors  it  was  styled  Keang-nan  and  Shang  Chau;  by  the 
first  sovereign  of  the  Ming  dynasty  it  was  created  "the  southern  capi- 
tal" (Nanking)  and  was  given  the  distinctive  title  of  Ying-t'een;  and 
since  the  accession  to  power  of  the  present  Manchu  rulers  it  has  been 
oflQcially  known  as  Kiang-ning,  though  still  popularly  called  Nanking. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was  the  seat  of  the  imperial  court  only  during 
the  reigns  of  the  first  two  emperors  of  the  Ming  dynasty,  and  was  de- 
serted for  Peking  by  Yung-lo,  the  third  sovereign  of  that  line,  who  in 
1403  captured  the  town  and  usurped  the  crown  of  his  nephew,  the  reign- 
ing emperor.  But  even  when  speaking  of  the  city  rebuilt  by  the  Ming- 
sovereign  it  is  necessary  to  use  the  past  tense.  The  Tai-ping  rebels, 
who  carried  the  town  by  assault  in  1853,  made  a  clean  sweep  of  all  of 
the  national  monuments  and  most  of  the  more  conspicuous  public  build- 
ings, and  destroyed  or  were  the  means  of  destroying  the  greater  part 
of  the  magnificent  wall  which  surrounded  the  city. 

Nanking  is  about  194  miles  to  the  west  of  Shanghai  and  is  nearly 
equidistant  between  Peking  and  Canton.  It  lies  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Yang-tsze  Kiang  and  has  a  population  of  about  half  a  million  souls. 
In  bygone  days  it  was  one  of  the  chief  literary  centers  of  the  empire, 
besides  being  famous  for  its  manufacturing  industries,  and  in  the  latter 
respect  it  still  retains  its  preeminence.  Satin,  crape,  nankin  cloth, 
paper,  pottery,  and  artificial  flowers  are  among  its  chief  products,  and 
to  these  peaceful  industries  have  been  added  in  late  years  the  produc- 
tion of  all  kinds  of  war-like  material.  The  arsenal  is  superintended  by 
foreigners,  under  whose  guidance  steamships  of  war,  and  cannon  of 
the  newest  and  most  approved  type  are  there  manufactured. 


144  GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

Tien-tsin,  the  largest  commercial  city  in  Chi-li,  the  metropolitan 
pro^dnce  of  China,  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Peiho  and  the  Wan- 
ho,  which  is  connected  by  the  Grand  canal  with  the  Yang-tsze  Kiang. 
The  town  is  built  on  a  vast  alluvial  p]ain,which  extends  from  the  moun- 
tains beyond  Peking  to  the  sea,  and  through  which  the  Peiho  runs  a  cir- 
cuitous course,  making  the  distance  by  water  from  Tien-tsin  to  the  coast 
about  seventy  miles,  as  against  thirty-five  miles  by  road. 

The  city  walls  are  well  built,  although  not  always  kept  in  good  order, 
and  measure  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  each  way.  As  in  all  Chinese 
cities,  the  more  wealthy  inhabitants  live  in  the  suburbs,  but  even  their 
houses  have  a  mean  appearance,  being  built  for  the  most  part  of  mud  or 
dried  bricks.  The  city  has  attracted  notice  during  the  past  ten  years 
because  of  the  great  improvements  that  have  been  made,  both  by  for- 
eign and  native  capital.  It  is  the  headquarters  for  the  Imperial  Chinese 
railway,  which  is  being  rapidly  constructed;  and  a  Chinese  mining 
company,  with  a  daily  output  of  15,000  tons  of  coal,  has  its  headquar- 
ters here.    The  annual  foreign  trade  is  estimated  at  |42,250,000. 

Hang-chau  Fu  is  in  the  province  of  Che-kiang,  about  two  miles  north- 
west of  the  Tsien-tang-Kiang,  at  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Imperial 
canal,  by  which  it  communicates  with  Peking.  To  the  west  is  the  Si- 
hu,  or  "Western  lake,"  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  with  its  banks  and 
islands  studded  with  villas,  monuments,  and  gardens,  and  its  surface 
traversed  by  gaily-painted  pleasure  boats,  making  it  to  the  Chinese  a 
very  paradise. 

Exclusive  of  extensive  and  flourishing  suburbs,  the  city  has  a  cir- 
cuit of  twelve  miles;  its  streets  are  well  paved  and  clean;  and  it  pos- 
sesses a  large  number  of  arches,  public  monuments,  temples,  hospitals 
and  colleges.  It  has  long  ranked  as  one  of  the  greatest  centers  of 
Chinese  commerce  and  Chinese  learning.  As  long  ago  as  1869  the  silk 
manufactures  alone  were  said  to  give  employment  to  60,000  persons 
within  its  walls,  and  it  has  an  extensive  production  of  gold  and  silver 
work  and  tinsel  paper.  On  one  of  the  islands  in  the  lake  is  the  great 
Wan-lan-Ko,  or  pavilion  of  literary  assemblies,  where,  at  the  examina- 
tions for  the  second  degree  twice  every  three  years,  from  10,000  to 
15,000  candidates  come  together. 

Amoy,  a  seaport  in  the  province  of  Fuh-kien,  is  situated  on  the  slope 
of  a  hill,  on  the  south  coast  of  a  small  and  barren  island  of  the  same 
name.     It  is  an  exceedingly  dirty  place,  about  nine  miles  in  circum- 


GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  145 

ference,  and  is  divided  into  two  portions,  an  inner  and  an  outer  town, 
which  are  separated  from  each  other  by  a  ridge  of  hills,  on  which  a 
citadel  of  considerable  strength  has  been  built.  Each  of  these  divisions 
of  the  city  possesses  a  large  and  commodious  harbor,  that  of  the  inner 
town,  or  city  proper,  being  protected  by  strong  fortifications.  Amoy 
may  be  regarded  as  the  port  of  the  inland  city  of  Chang-chu,  with  which 
it  has  river  communication;  and  its  trade,  both  foreign  and  coastwise, 
is  extensive  and  valuable. 

Macao  is  largely  a  Portuguese  settlement  and  was  named  by  them, 
but  it  derives  interest  at  this  time  from  the  fact  that  it  is  one  of  the 
principal  homes  of  the  reforming  element  of  China.  The  town  is  situated 
on  a  peninsula  on  an  island  of  the  same  name  at  the  mouth  of  the  Canton 
river,  and  is  in  the  province  of  Kuang-tung.  The  city  slopes  down 
amidst  luxuriant  foliage  to  the  water's  edge,  and  forcibly  reminds  one, 
with  its  tinted  balcony  houses,  its  still,  blue  bay,  its  cloudless  sky,  and 
its  brilliant  atmosphere,  of  Monte  Carlo,  the  resemblance  to  the  great 
resort  of  the  gambler  being  intensified  by  an  enormous  casino-like 
building  overhanging  the  water,  and  surrounded  by  exquisite  tropical 
gardens. 

As  far  back  as  the  latter  half  of  the  sixteenth  century  Macao  was 
granted  to  the  Portuguese  by  the  Chinese  emperor  in  return  for  assist- 
ance against  the  pirates,  and  at  the  present  day  the  town  is  divided  into 
two  distinct  sections,  the  Chinese  and  the  Portuguese,  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  native  inhabitants  being,  by  a  treaty  of  1863,  vested  in  the  Chinese 
authorities  in  the  shape  of  a  mandarin  acting  under  the  viceroy.  The 
Portuguese  government  consists  of  a  senate,  a  council  and  a  governor, 
whose  official  residence  is  the  great  white  building  already  mentioned. 

Both  the  inner  harbor  and  the  outer  roadstead  suffer  terribly  from 
typhoons;  the  roadstead  especially,  owing  to  its  exposed  position,  pro- 
tected merely  by  a  scattered  chain  of  islands,  being  a  veritable  death 
trap  to  shipping.  During  fair  weather  no  sight  could  be  more  pictur- 
esque than  the  mirror-like  surface  of  the  harbors,  refiecting  with  abso- 
lute fidelity  the  hundreds  of  junks  of  all  colors  and  shapes,  with  their 
fantastic  sails  and  quaint  hulls.  All  the  trade  of  the  place  is  can-ied 
on  by  means  of  these  native  vessels;  the  most  important  section  of  this 
trade  consisting  in  the  smuggling  of  rice,  tea,  silk,  sugar,  and  indigo. 
In  fact,  Macao  without  smuggling  would  wither  up  as  a  tree  shorn  of 
its  rootSo 


146  GREAT  CITIES  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

Yun-nan  is  the  capital  of  the  province  of  the  same  name,  in  the  ex- 
treme south-western  corner  of  the  empire,  and  has  a  population  esti- 
mated at  200,000.  It  is  situated  on  a  plain,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  wall 
six  and  one-half  miles  in  circumference.  Marco  Polo  described  the  city 
under  the  name  of  Yachi  as  "a  very  great  and  noble  city,  in  which  are 
numerous  merchants  and  craftsmen.  The  people  are  of  sundry  kinds, 
for  there  are  not  only  Saracens  and  idolaters,  but  also  a  few  Nestorian 
Christians.  They  have  wheat  and  rice  in  plenty.  *  »  *  Their 
money  is  *  *  *  certain  white  porcelain  shells  that  are  found 
in  the  sea."  The  city  at  this  day  has  a  prosperous  and  busy  aspect,  and 
employment  for  a  large  number  of  work-people  is  found  in  the  copper 
factories.  A  local  mint  issues  annually  101,000,000  cash,  a  Chinese 
copper  coin  of  small  value. 


CHAPTER  Vlll. 
THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

Power  of  the  Emperor  Over  the  People — The  Council  of  State — Responsibility  of  Mandarins — 
Official  Dishonesty  the  Rule,  Rather  Than  the  Exception — Honest  Rulers  Are  Shown 
Great  Respect — How  the  People  Are  Protected — Cruelty  Practiced  in  Courts  of  Law — The 
Punishment  of  Crime — How  Criminals  Sometimes  Escape — Horrors  of  Chinese  Prisons — 
The  Schools  of  China— Rules  of  Conduct  For  Scholars— The  Teacher's  Authority  Over  the 
Pupil— System  of  Public  Examinations. 

GHINESE  government  may  be  described  as  being  in  theory  a 
patriarchal  despotism.  The  emperor  is  the  father  of  his  peo- 
ple, and  just  as  in  a  family  a  father's  law  is  supreme,  so  the 
emperor  exercises  complete  control  over  his  subjects,  even  to 
the  extent  of  holding  under  certain  recognized  conditions  their  lives  iu 
his  hands.  But  from  time  immemorial  it  has  been  held  by  the  highest 
constitutional  authorities,  by  Confucius  and  Mencius  among  the  rest, 
that  the  duties  existing  between  the  emperor  and  his  people  are  recip- 
rocal, and  that,  though  it  is  the  duty  of  the  people  to  render  a  loyal  and 
willing  obedience  to  the  emperor  so  long  as  his  rule  is  just  and  benefi- 
cent, it  is  equally  incumbent  on  them  to  resist  his  authority,  to  depose 
him,  and  even  to  put  him  to  death  in  case  he  should  desert  the  paths 
of  rectitude  and  virtue. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  it  is  very  difficult  to  say  what  extent  of 
power  the  emperor  actually  wields.  The  outside  world  sees  only  the 
imperial  bolts,  but  how  they  are  forged,  or  whose  is  the  hand  that 
shoots  them,  none  can  tell.  Of  course,  in  the  case  of  unusually  able 
men,  such  as  K'ang-he  (1661-1722)  and  K'een-lung  (1735-1795),  the  second 
and  fourth  rulers  of  the  present  dynasty,  their  influence  is  more  felt 
than  that  of  less  energetic  rulers;  but  the  throne  of  China  is  so  hedged 
in  with  ceremonials,  and  so  padded  with  official  etiquette,  that  unless 
its  occupant  be  a  man  of  supreme  ability,  he  cannot  fail  to  fall  under 
the  guidance  of  his  ministers  and  favorites. 

To  assist  him  in  the  government  he  has  a  council  of  state,  the  mem- 
bers of  which,  five  in  number,  daily  transact  the  business  of  the  empire 
in  the  imperial  presence  between  the  hours  of  four  and  six  in  the  morn- 
ing.    Then  there  are  the  Grand  Secretariat;   the  Tsung-li  Yamen,  or 

147 


148  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

Foreign  Office;  the  six  boards,  viz.:  The  Le-pu,  or  Board  of  Civil  Of- 
fice; the  Hu-pii,  or  Board  of  Revenue;  the  Le-pu,  or  Board  of  Ceremo- 
nies; the  Ping-pu,  or  Board  of  War;  the  Hing-pu,  or  Board  of  Punish- 
ments; and  the  Kung-pu,  or  Board  of  Works,  and  several  minor  offices, 
all  charged  with  the  superintendence  of  the  affairs  of  the  eighteen  prov- 
inces into  which  the  empire  is  divided. 

Fifteen  of  these  provinces  are  grouped  into  eight  vice-royalties,  and 
the  remaining  three  are  administered  by  governors.  Each  province  is 
autonomous,  or  nearly  so,  and  the  supreme  authorities,  whether  vice- 
roys or  governors,  are  practically  independent  so  long  as  they  act  in 
accordance  with  the  \qvj  minute  regulations  laid  down  for  tneir  guid- 
ance. The  principal  function  of  the  Peking  government  is  to  see  that 
these  regulations  are  carried  out,  and  in  case  they  should  not  be,  to 
call  the  offending  viceroy  or  governor  to  account.  Subordinate  to  the 
viceroys  are  the  governors  of  each  province,  under  whom  again  are  pre- 
fects and  sub-prefects,  then  come  intendants  of  circuits,  next  district 
magistrates,  and  after  them  a  host  of  petty  officials. 

Each  viceroy  raises  his  own  army  and  navy,  which  he  pays,  or  some- 
times, unfortunately,  does  not  pay,  out  of  the  revenues  of  his  govern- 
ment. He  levies  his  own  taxes,  and,  except  in  particular  cases,  is  the 
final  court  of  appeal  in  all  judicial  matters  within  the  limits  of  his  rule. 
But  in  return  for  this  latitude  allowed  him  he  is  held  responsible  for 
the  good  government  of  his  territoiy.  If  by  any  chance  serious  disturb- 
ances break  out  and  continue  unsuppressed,  he  is  called  to  account  as 
having  by  his  misconduct  contributed  to  them,  and  he  in  his  turn  looks 
to  his  subordinates  to  maintain  order  and  execute  justice  within  their 
jurisdictions.  Of  himself  he  has  no  power  to  remove  or  punish  subor- 
dinate officials,  but  has  to  refer  all  complaints  against  them  to  Peking. 
The  personal  responsibility  of  the  viceroys  regarding  the  mainte- 
nance of  order  within  their  provinces  makes  them  severe  critics  on  those 
who  serve  under  them,  and  the  Peking  Gazette  bears  evidence  to  the 
frequency  with  which  junior  officials  are  impeached  and  punished  at 
the  instigation  of  their  chiefs.  The  following  decree,  which  is  copied 
from  this  journal,  furnishes  a  good  example  of  the  usual  charges  and 
customary  punishments  brought  against  and  awarded  to  offending  of- 
ficers: "A  decree  based  upon  a  memorial  from  Li  Hung  Chang,  viceroy 
of  Hu  Kuang,  and  Wan  T'ung-tsioh,  governor  of  Hupih,  who  have  solic- 
ited the  degradation  of  compulsory  retirement,  respectively,  of  certain 


THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA.  149 

incapable  or  unworthy  officials.  In  the  case  of  Shu  Tsau,  department 
magistrate  of  Kiun  Chau,  declared  to  be  wanting  in  natural  ability  and 
shallow  in  acquired  knowledge,  and  of  indifferent  reputation — of  Li 
Tsang-yaou,  district  magistrate  of  E-ch'eng,  declared  to  have  set  official 
prescription  at  nought  in  his  business  arrangements,  and  to  have  made 
himself  unacceptable  to  the  people — and  of  Mu  Fuh-kea,  declared  to  be 
inspired  with  a  false  and  treacherous  disposition,  and  to  have  employed 
deceitful  representations  in  his  transaction  of  affairs;  the  sentence  is 
that  the  delinquents  be  forthwith  stripped  of  their  rank  and  office. 
Chang  Han,  sub-prefect  of  Han  Yang-fu,  being  decrepit  from  age,  and 
beyond  the  possibility  of  active  exertion,  is  to  be  compulsorily  retired," 

Other  charges,  such  as  of  opium-smoking,  misappropriation  of  public 
moneys,  and  failure  to  arrest  criminals,  meet  with  like  punishments. 
On  the  whole  the  conduct  of  junior  ofiftcials  is  carefully  watched;  and 
though  it  may  not  infrequently  happen  that  they  are  unjustly  charged 
with  offences,  their  causes  are,  when  such  cases  become  apparent,  im- 
mediately vindicated,  and  their  accusers,  of  whatever  rank,  are  brought 
to  the  bar  of  justice.  Not  long  since,  for  an  offence  of  this  nature,  the 
lieutenant-governor  of  the  province  of  Ho-nan  was  dismissed  from  his 
office,  and  the  governor  was  degraded  three  steps  of  rank  for  having 
countenanced  the  proceedings. 

As  has  been  already  said,  the  affairs  of  each  province  are  adminis- 
tered by  the  viceroy  or  governor  and  his  subordinates,  and,  speaking 
generally,  their  rule  is  as  enlightened  and  as  just  as  could  be  expected 
in  an  oriental  country  where  public  opinion  finds  only  a  very  imperfect 
utterance.  Official  purity  and  justice  must  be  treated  as  comparative 
terms  in  China.  The  constitution  of  the  civil  service  renders  it  next  to 
impossible  that  any  office-holder  can  be  clean-handed  from  our  point  of 
view.  The  salaries  awarded  are  low,  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  neces- 
sary expenses  pertaining  to  the  offices  to  which  they  are  apportioned, 
and  the  consequence  is,  that  in  some  way  or  other  the  officials  are  com- 
pelled to  make  up  the  deficiency  from  the  pockets  of  those  subject  to 
them.  Every  legal  precaution  is  taken  to  prevent  this  nefarious  system, 
with  the  exception  of  the  only  one  which  might  be  expected  to  put  a  stop 
to  it.  All  appointments  are  tenable  for  three  years  only,  so  that  the 
holders  of  office  are  naturally  anxious  to  gain  and  keep  the  esteem  and 
approval  of  their  superiors,  and  so  to  administer  affairs  as  not  to  raise 
audible  discontent  among  the  people;    on  the  other  hand,  it  must  be 


150  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

admitted  that  this  regulation  is  apt  to  tempt  a  greedy  and  unscrupulous 
mandarin  to  make  the  most  he  can  from  each  district  over  which  he 
may  hold  these  short  terms  of  office. 

No  mandarin  is  allowed  to  take  office  in  his  native  province,  and  no 
relation,  or  even  connection,  is  allowed  to  serve  under  him.  How 
stringent  is  this  rule  appears  from  an  edict  lately  published  in  the 
Peking  Gazette,  in  which  the  governor  of  the  province  of  Kwei-chau 
Avas  rebuked  for  not  having  reported  to  the  throne  that  he  was  about 
to  connect  himself  with  the  family  of  an  intendant  of  circuit  in  the  same 
province  by  the  betrothal  of  his  third  son  to  the  intendant's  second 
daughter,  and  in  consequence  of  which  proposed  alliance  the  ambitious 
intendant  was  ordered  to  another  province.  But  all  such  regulations 
are  powerless  to  prevent  extortion  in  the  face  of  a  positive  necessity, 
and  it  would  be  just  as  useful  to  decree  that  black  should  henceforth  be 
white,  as  that  men  w^hose  salaries  are  insufficient  to  pay  the  wages  of 
their  underlings,  should  hold  their  hands  when  abundance  is  within 
their  reach. 

As  a  rule  mandarins  seldom  enter  office  with  private  fortunes,  and 
the  wealth  therefore  which  soothes  the  declining  years  of  veteran  of- 
ficials may  be  fairly  assumed  to  be  ill-gotten  gain.  A  remarkable  in- 
stance of  a  fortune  thus  acquired,  and  of  the  retributive  "fleecing" 
which  is  frequently  inflicted  on  the  possessors  of  such  plunder,  occurred 
in  the  case  of  Hang  Ke,  formerly  superintendent  of  customs  at  Canton. 
This  man's  salary  was  2,400  taels,  or  about  |4,000  a  year;  the  necessary 
expenses  of  his  yamun  or  official  residence  were  about  8,000  taels  per 
month,  and  yet,  w^hen  he  resigned  his  seals  of  office,  he  retired  with  a 
fortune  of  300,000  taels,  or  |500,000.  As  is  not  unusually  the  case  when 
a  high  official  retires  from  his  post,  more  especially  if  he  is  believed  to 
have  made  money,  Hang  Ke  was  ordered  to  Peking,  and  before  he  had 
been  many  days  in  the  capital  one-third  of  the  |500,000  had  passed  into 
the  hands  of  members  of  the  government. 

But  the  old  proverb  that  one  man  may  steal  a  horse,  and  another  man 
may  not  look  over  the  fence,  is  peculiarly  true  as  regards  official  extor- 
tion in  China,  as  many  less  discreet  men  than  Hang  Ke  have  found  to 
their  cost.  Not  long  since  a  district  magistrate  in  the  province  of  Kwei- 
chau  was  put  to  death  by  strangulation  for  having  levied  an  illegal 
assessment  of  6,050  taels  only  from  certain  communes  of  the  Meaou- 
tsze  aborigines  within  his  district.     The  immunity  which  some  man- 


THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA.  151 

darins  enjoy  from  the  just  consequences  of  their  crimes,  and  the  severity 
with  which  the  law  is  vindicated  in  the  cases  of  others  for  much  lighter 
offences,  has  a  sinister  aspect.  But  in  a  system  of  which  bribery 
and  corruption  practically  form  a  part  one  need  not  expect  to  find 
purity  in  any  direction,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  whole 
civil  service  is,  judged  by  our  standards  of  right  and  wrong,  corrupt 
to  the  core. 

The  people,  however,  are  very  lightly  taxed,  and  they  readily  sub- 
mit to  limited  extortion  so  long  as  the  rule  of  the  mandarins  is  otherwise 
just  and  beneficent.  But  how  rarely  does  a  mandarin  earn  the  respect 
and  affection  of  the  people  is  obvious  from  the  great  parade  which  is 
made  on  the  departure  from  their  posts  of  the  very  occasional  officials 
who  are  fortunate  enough  to  have  done  so.  Arch-deacon  Gray  states 
in  his  "China"  that  during  his  residence  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  at 
Canton  he  only  met  one  man  who  had  entitled  himself  to  the  regret  of 
the  people  at  his  departure.  On  his  leaving  the  city  the  inhabitants 
rose  to  do  him  honor. 

"In  the  imposing  procession  which  escorted  him  to  the  place  of  em- 
barkation, and  which  took  at  least  twenty  minutes  to  pass  a  given 
point,  were  carried  the  silk  umbrellas  which  had  been  presented  to 
him  by  the  people,  and  the  red  boards — of  which  there  were  probably 
300 — upon  which  high-sounding  titles  had  been  inscribed  in  honor  of 
the  faithful  minister.  The  route  was  spanned  at  frequent  intervals  by 
arches.  From  these,  banners  were  suspended  which  bore,  in  large  let- 
ters, painted  or  embroidered,  such  sentences  as  'The  Friend  of  the  Peo- 
ple'; 'The  Father  of  the  People';  'The  Bright  Star  of  the  Province'; 
'The  Benefactor  of  the  Age.'  Deputations  awaited  his  arrival  at  various 
temples,  and  he  alighted  from  his  chair  to  exchange  compliments  with 
them,  and  to  partake  of  the  refreshments  provided  for  the  occasion.  But 
the  formal  arrangements  could  not  speak  so  clearly  to  his  popularity 
as  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people.  The  silence  generally  observed  when 
a  Chinese  ruler  passes  through  the  streets  was  again  and  again  broken 
by  hearty  exclamations  of  'When  will  your  Excellency  come  back  to  us?' 
At  many  points  the  crowd  was  so  great  as  to  interrupt  the  line  of  march, 
and  the  state  chair  was  frequently  in  danger  of  being  upset." 

Going  to  the  opposite  extreme  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  people, 
goaded  into  rebellion  by  a  sense  of  wrong,  rise  in  arms  against  some 
particularly  obnoxious  mandarin  and  drive  him  from  the  district.    But 


152  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

Chinamen  are  essentially  unwarlike,  and  it  needs  must  be  some  act  of 
gross  oppression  to  stir  their  blood  to  fever  heat. 

A  potent  means  of  protection  against  oppression  is  granted  to  the 
people  by  the  appointment  of  imperial  censors  throughout  the  empire, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  report  to  the  throne  all  cases  of  misrule,  injustice, 
or  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  mandarins  which  come  to  their  knowl- 
edge. The  same  tolerance  which  is  shown  by  the  people  towards  the 
shortcomings  and  ill-deeds  of  the  ofiftcials,  is  displayed  by  these  men 
in  the  discharge  of  their  duties.  Only  aggravated  cases  make  them 
take  their  pens  in  hand,  but  when  they  do  it  must  be  confessed  that 
they  show  little  mercy.  Neither  are  they  respecters  of  persons;  their 
lash  falls  on  all  alike,  from  the  emperor  on  his  throne  to  the  police- 
runners  in  magisterial  courts.  Nor  is  their  plain  speaking  more  amaz- 
ing than  the  candor  with  which  their  memorials  affecting  the  charac- 
ters of  great  and  small  alike  are  published  in  the  Peking  Gazette. 

The  gravest  charges,  such  as  peculation,  neglect  of  duty,  injus- 
tice or  incompetence,  are  brought  against  mandarins  of  all  ranks,  and 
are  openly  published  in  the  official  paper.  No  doubt  it  is  intended  that 
the  lesson  implied  by  these  publications  should  have  a  salutary  effect 
on  the  official  readers,  but  their  constant  recurrence  tends  to  lessen 
their  value,  and  thus  they  probably  serve  less  as  warnings  against 
wrong-doing  than  as  hints  what  particular  evil  practices  to  avoid,  and 
especially  the  unwisdom  of  falling  out  with  the  censor. 

In  the  administration  of  justice  the  same  lax  morality  as  in  other 
branches  of  government  exists,  and  bribery  is  largely  resorted  to  by 
litigants,  more  especially  in  civil  cases.  As  a  rule  money  in  excess  of 
the  legal  fees  has,  in  the  first  instance,  to  be  paid  to  the  clerks  and 
secretaries  before  a  case  can  be  put  down  for  hearing,  and  the  decision 
of  the  presiding  mandarin  is  too  often  influenced  by  the  sums  of  money 
which  find  their  way  into  his  purse  from  the  pockets  of  either  suitor. 
But  the  greatest  blot  on  Chinese  administration  is  the  inhumanity  shown 
to  both  culprits  and  witnesses  in  criminal  procedure.  Tortures  of  the 
most  painful  and  revolting  kind  are  used  to  extort  evidence,  and  punish- 
ments scarcely  more  severely  cruel  are  inflicted  on  the  guilty  parties. 
Flogging  with  bamboos,  beating  the  jaws  with  thick  pieces  of  leather, 
or  the  ankles  with  a  stick,  are  some  of  the  preliminary  tortures  applied 
to  witnesses  or  culprits  who  refuse  to  give  the  evidence  expected  of 
them. 


THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA.  153 

Further  refinements  of  cruelty  are  reserved  for  hardened  offenders, 
by  means  of  which  infinite  pain,  and  often  permanent  injury,  are  in- 
flicted on  the  knee  joints,  fingers,  ankles,  etc.  Occasionally  the  tortures 
pass  the  limits  of  endurance,  and  death  releases  the  victim  from  his 
miseries;  but  as  a  rule,  in  the  "severe  question,"  life  is  preserved,  but  at 
the  expense  of  crippled  limbs.  The  Turanians  are  so  obtuse-nerved  by 
nature  that  they  probably  do  not  feel  pain  as  acutely  as  more  sensitive 
races,  and  their  nerves  survive  shocks  which  would  prove  fatal  to  more 
finely  organized  people.  It  is  this  which  enables  them  to  pass  through 
the  horrors  of  the  torture-chamber  alive. 

It  must  be  understood  that  though  these  tortures  are  unfortunately 
common,  their  intensity,  and  even  their  use,  vary  with  the  disposition  of 
each  mandarin  in  whose  power  it  is  to  inflict  them.  To  many,  no  doubt, 
their  employment  is  as  repugnant  as  it  would  be  to  a  judge  in  our  own 
country,  but  to  have  to  look  for  mercy  on  the  chance  of  the  presiding 
magistrate  being  of  a  kindly  disposition,  is  a  poor  security  for  those 
who  enter  a  criminal  court. 

It  follows,  as  a  natural  consequence,  that  in  a  country  where  tor- 
ture is  thus  resorted  to  that  the  punishments  inflicted  on  criminals  must 
be  proportionately  cruel.  Death,  the  final  punishment,  can  unfortu- 
nately be  inflicted  in  various  ways,  and  a  sliding  scale  of  capital  pun- 
ishments is  used  by  the  Chinese  to  mark  their  sense  of  the  varying 
heinousness  of  murderous  crimes.  For  parricide,  matricide  and  whole- 
sale murders,  the  usual  sentence  is  that  of  Ling  che,  or  "ignominious 
and  slow"  death.  In  the  carrying  out  of  this  sentence,  the  culprit  is 
fastened  to  a  cross,  and  cuts,  varying  in  number,  at  the  discretion  of 
the  judge,  from  eight  to  a  hundred  and  twenty,  are  made  first  on  the 
face  and  fleshy  parts  of  the  body,  next  the  heart  is  pierced,  and  finally, 
when  death  has  been  thus  caused,  the  limbs  are  separated  from  the 
body  and  divided.  In  one  year  ten  cases  in  which  this  punishment  was 
inflicted  were  reported  in  the  Peking  Gazette;  in  one  of  which,  shocking 
to  say,  a  lunatic  was  the  sufferer,  a  circumstance  which  adds  weird 
horror  to  the  ghastly  scene. 

In  ordinary  cases  of  capital  punishment  execution  by  beheading  is 
the  common  mode.  This  is  a  speedy  and  merciful  death,  the  skill  gained 
by  frequent  experience  enabling  the  executioner  in  almost  evevy  case 
to  perform  his  task  with  one  blow.  On  one  occasion  in  Canton  thirty- 
six  men  were  beheaded  for  robbery  with  violence.    Two  executioners 


154  TEE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

were  employed,  and  they  finished  their  task  in  less  than  two  minutes, 
neither  of  them  having  once  failed  to  sever  the  head  from  the  body  at 
the  first  stroke.  The  culprits  were  brought  on  to  the  ground  heavily 
chained  and  in  baskets,  each  basket  being  carried  between  two  men 
and  slung  on  a  bamboo  pole.  On  arriving  at  the  appointed  spot,  the 
men  were  more  thrown  than  lifted  out  of  the  baskets,  and  were  placed 
in  a  kneeling  position.  They  were  then  arranged  one  behind  the  other 
in  two  rows,  and  at  a  given  signal  by  the  presiding  mandarin,  the  execu- 
tioners, who  had  taken  up  their  positions  between  the  two  rows  at  each 
end,  struck  right  and  left. 

Another  death  which  is  less  horrible  to  Ohinamen,  who  view  any 
mutilation  of  the  body  as  an  extreme  disgrace,  is  by  strangulation.  The 
privilege  of  so  passing  out  of  the  world  is  accorded  at  times  to  influen- 
tial criminals,  whose  crimes  are  not  of  so  heinous  a  nature  as  demand 
their  decapitation;  and  occasionally  they  are  even  allowed  to  be  their 
own  executioners.  In  the  year  1861,  a  prince  of  the  blood  who  had  been 
found  guilty  of  treason  had  this  favor  extended  to  him.  The  "silken 
cord"  was  sent  to  him  in  his  cell  in  the  Board  of  Punishments,  and  he 
was  left  to  consummate  his  own  doom.  But  his  nerve  forsook  him  and 
the  jailors  were  ultimately  compelled  to  carry  out  the  sentence  of  the 
law. 

Other  and  summary  extra-judicial  executions  are  carried  out  by 
the  people  with  the  silent  consent  of  the  officials  in  the  case  of  kid- 
nappers and  others  taken  red-handed,  and  their  nature  is  to  a  great 
extent  moulded  by  circumstances.  If  a  river  should  be  near  the  prob- 
ability is  that  the  criminal  would  be  thrown  into  the  water,  but  the 
more  common  mode  of  lynching  is  to  bind  the  condemned  wretch  to  a 
cross  and  to  strangle  him  with  a  cord  passed  through  a  hole  in  the 
cross  at  the  back  of  his  neck.  It  is  a  fortunate  provision  of  nature  that 
the  fear  of  death  diminishes  in  a  direct  ratio  to  the  frequency  of  its 
probable  incidence.  Seasons  of  war  and  political  disturbance,  when  the 
sword  is  bare  and  the  executioner's  hands  are  full,  are  generally  times 
of  reckless  gaiety  and  thoughtless  living,  and  so  in  countries  such  as 
China,  where  human  life  possesses,  neither  in  the  eyes  of  the  judges 
nor  of  the  people,  the  sacredness  with  which  it  is  held  in  our  own  land, 
the  people,  far  from  being  weighed  down  with  a  sense  of  the  possible 
nearness  of  death,  learn  to  look  upon  its  imminence  with  indifference 
and  to  despise  its  terrors. 


THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA.  155 

The  uncertainty  also  which  surrounds  the  fate  of  the  condemned 
malefactor  is  apt  to  encourage  a  hope  that  fortune  may  be  kinder  to 
him  than  the  judge,  for  it  by  no  means  follows  that  every  man  upon 
whom  sentence  of  death  is  passed  finds  his  way  to  the  execution  ground. 
The  lists  of  condemned  criminals  are  sent  at  stated  times  from  all  parts 
of  the  empire  to  Peking,  and  the  emperor,  guided  pretty  much  by 
chance,  marks  with  a  red  pencil  the  names  of  a  certain  proportion  on 
whom  it  is  his  imperial  will  that  the  sentence  of  the  law  should  be 
carried  out  at  the  approaching  jail  delivery.  On  the  morning  of  the  day 
fixed  for  the  execution  the  jailer  enters  the  prison  and  reads  out  the 
names  of  the  unfortunate  ones,  who  are  then  taken  before  the  judge 
to  be  officiallj^  identified,  after  which  they  are  allowed  a  meal,  which  is 
supplied  either  by  their  friends  or  the  prison  authorities,  mainly  con- 
sisting, as  a  rule,  of  some  narcotic,  and  are  finally  carried  off  to  the 
place  of-  execution. 

The  names  of  those  left  in  prison  are  sent  to  Peking  with  the  next 
batch,  and  those  who  are  lucky  enough  to  escape  the  vermilion  pencil 
two  or  three  times  are  generally  sent  off  into  banishment  for  life.  In 
the  old  days,  when  the  great  wall  was  being  built,  such  criminals  were 
sent  to  work  at  that  huge  undertaking,  but  since  that  time  they  have 
been  banished  beyond  the  frontiers.  It  may  be  that  in  some  cases  the 
indifference  with  which  criminals  leave  their  cells  for  the  execution 
ground  is  to  be  traced  to  the  supreme  misery  of  their  prison  life,  and 
to  anyone  who  has  visited  a  Chinese  prison  this  indifference  is  not  sur- 
prising. Asiatics  are  almost  invariably  careless  about  the  sufferings 
of  others,  and  the  Chinese  are  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  horrors  of  the  prisons  of 
China.  The  filth  and  dirt  of  the  rooms,  the  brutality  of  the  jailers,  and 
the  miserable  food  furnished,  make  up  a  picture  which  is  too  horrible 
to  draw  in  detail. 

Chinese  law-makers  have  distinguished  in  a  very  marked  manner 
between  crimes  accompanied  and  unaccompanied  by  violence.  For 
offences  of  the  latter  description  punishments  of  a  comparatively  light 
nature  are  inflicted,  such  as  wearing  the  wooden  collar,  and  piercing 
the  ears  with  arrows,  to  the  ends  of  which  are  attached  slips  of  paper 
on  which  are  inscribed  the  crime  of  which  the  culprit  has  been  guilty. 
Frequently  the  criminals,  bearing  these  signs  of  their  disgrace,  are 
paraded  up  and  down  the  street  where  their  offence  was  committed. 


156  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

and  sometimes,  in  more  serious  cases,  they  are  flogged  through  the 
leading  thoroughfares  of  the  city,  preceded  by  a  herald,  who  announces 
the  nature  of  their  misdemeanors. 

But  to  attempt  to  give  a  complete  list  of  Chinese  punishments  would 
be  to  exhaust  the  ingenuity  of  man  to  torture  his  fellow  creatures.  1'he 
subject  is  a  horrible  one,  and  we  turn  from  the  dingy  prison  walls  and 
the  halls  of  so-called  justice  to  a  study  of  the  educational  methods  in 
vogue  in  the  Chinese  empire. 

E'ducation,  the  next  topic  which  engages  our  attention  in  discussing 
the  Chinese  nation,  is  a  subject  of  great  moment  in  the  arrangements  of 
the  supreme  government,  the  leaders  of  which  act  on  the  principle  that 
national  rule  can  be  safely  based  only  on  correct  moral  sentiment. 
To  illustrate  their  sense  of  its  importance,  youths  are  early  imbued  with 
various  principles  inculcated  in  their  sacred  classics,  consisting  of  the 
Avorks  of  Confucius,  Mencius  and  other  revered  authorities,  among 
which  the  holy  edict  of  a  former  emperor  on  filial  duty,  paraphrased 
by  an  officer  of  rank,  and  a  small  treatise  entitled  "Learning  For  Youth," 
are  highly  valued. 

The  following  sentence  from  the  tract  for  youth  forms  the  ground- 
work for  Chinese  ethics:  "In  ancient  times  children  were  taught  to 
sprinkle  water  on  the  floor  and  sweep  it,  to  answer  properly  when 
called,  to  enter  and  retire  according  to  due  forms,  to  love  their  parents, 
reverence  their  supt^riors,  honor  their  teachers,  and  associate  with  good 
I)eople;  all  which  are  fundamental  principles  in  promoting  personal 
virtue,  regulating  families,  ruling  an  empire,  and  subjugating  the 
world." 

Education  appears  to  have  been  greatly  esteemed  in  high  antiquity, 
since  a  chapter  of  a  work  on  rites  and  ceremonies,  written  500  yeary 
before  the  Christian  era,  speaks  of  the  ancient  mode  of  learning,  which 
ordained  that  a  few  families  should  unite  to  have  a  school  room  by  the 
side  of  the  gate;  and  that  a  neighborhood,  a  village,  a  nation,  and 
principality,  should  each  have  institutions  for  learning,  varying  in  ex- 
tent and  importance  according  to  the  necessities  of  the  district.  Chil- 
dren, agreeably  to  the  primitive  custom,  should  be  taught  as  soon  as 
they  can  eat  and  speak;  and  as  they  are  necessarily  without  judgment 
and  experience,  maxims  and  essentials  should  be  daily  laid  before  their 
eyes,  occupy  their  ears,  and  fill  their  minds.  The  avowed  object  of 
the  sages  in  teaching  the  children  so  early,  is  to  restrain  their  propen- 


THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA.  157 

sity  to  dissipation,  and  to  cherish  benevolent  dispositions.  Moral  vir- 
tue, according  to  their  theory,  is  indeed  the  ultimate  end  of  all  instruc- 
tion; while  propriety  of  behavior,  music,  archery,  the  art  of  driving 
a  chariot,  writing  and  arithmetic  are  considered  as  the  external  orna- 
ments of  an  educated  mind,  and  as  comprehending  the  fine  arts,  the  last 
of  which  should  be  taught  at  six  years  of  age. 

There  are  in  China  no  respectable  public  academies  for  the  middle 
ranks  of  society,  similar  to  the  higher  schools  of  Western  nations;  but 
as  a  substitute,  the  wealthier  classes  of  the  Chinese  employ  private 
tutors  in  their  families  for  their  children  and  other  relatives. 

The  mode  of  teaching  boys  in  the  common  schools  is  to  begin  with 
a  small  work  called  the  "Classic  of  Three  Characters,"  which  they  com- 
mit to  memory,  and  having  gone  through  it  two  or  three  times  for  the 
sake  of  perfecting  themselves  in  the  sounds  of  the  characters,  they 
then  proceed  to  the  "four  books,"  with  a  comment,  the  text  of  which 
they  in  like  manner  memorize.  It  is  only  books  on  moral  subjects  that 
are  taught  in  the  seats  of  learning;  and  these  not  only  have  nothing  in 
them  tending  in  the  slightest  degree  to  corrupt  the  mind  or  morals  of 
youth,  but,  on  the  contrary,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  philos- 
ophy of  Confucius,  insist  on  everything  which  human  authority  can 
command  to  evince  filial  reverence,  fraternal  affection,  submission  to 
superiors  and  obedience  to  the  laws.  Beyond,  however,  the  unvarying 
and  uninteresting  course  prescribed  by  Confucius,  and  two  or  three  of 
his  most  distinguished  disciples,  there  is  nothing  calculated  to  expand 
the  mind,  or  attract  the  finer  feelings  of  the  heart;  and  yet  learning 
is  defined  to  be  "a  new  perception,"  "the  awakening  of  the  mind  to 
comprehend  new  objects." 

In  a  treatise  designated  "An  Entire  Collection  of  Family  Jewels," 
a  hundred  rules  are  laid  down  for  the  regulation  of  a  school,  which 
chiefly  refer  to  the  conduct  of  the  scholars,  who,  on  entering  school  in 
the  morning,  and  leaving  it  in  the  evening,  are  ordered  to  bow  first 
to  the  image  of  Confucius,  and  then  to  the  master.  When  they  return 
home  they  are  to  bow  to  the  household  gods,  to  the  tablet  of  ancestors, 
to  parents  and  relatives  and  to  the  guests  of  the  family  who  may  happen 
to  be  present,  to  whom  they  must  also  utter  a  comjjlimentary  saluta- 
tion. But  although  the  majority  of  the  rules  relate  to  the  behavior 
of  pupils  during  school  hours  and  at  home,  there  are  some  that  require 
them  to  pay  great  attention,  to  understand  clearly  the  sense  of  the 


158  TEE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

authors  read,  to  know  all  the  tones  and  accents,  and  changes  of  signifi- 
cation of  which  a  character  is  susceptible,  from  its  relative  position; 
and  others  that  great  care  be  taken  to  make  a  practical  application  of 
what  is  learned. 

An  ode,  or  a  selection  from  history,  must  be  recited  before  the  break- 
ing up  of  the  school  for  the  evening,  and  such  a  piece  be  chosen  as  will  be 
most  likely  to  affect  the  feelings,  and  produce  a  salutary  impression 
on  the  mind.  In  the  winter,  boys  are  to  study  at  home  by  the  aid  of  a 
lamp;  and,  though  allowed  relaxation  during  the  hot  months  of  sum- 
mer, they  must  resume  their  reading  again  in  autumn,  when  the  weather 
becomes  cool.  Gravity  of  deportment,  a  tranquil  and  easy  manner,  self 
command,  a  plain  and  simple  dress,  and  correct  speech  are  strongly 
recommended;  while  the  most  distant  approach  to  low  language  is  per- 
emptorily forbidden. 

Rules  for  sitting,  standing,  walking,  talking  and  bowing  are  laid 
down  with  the  greatest  precision.  Scholars  are  prohibited  from  gam- 
bling, dice,  cards,  chess,  footballs,  flying  kites,  shuttlecock,  playing  on 
wind  instruments,  training  birds,  beasts,  fishes  or  insects,  all  of  which 
amusements,  it  is  said,  dissipate  the  mind  and  debase  the  heart.  Bating 
and  drinking  are  to  be  held  in  due  subordination  to  moral  science,  on 
the  maxims  of  Confucius,  "the  good  man  does  not  eat  to  satiety,  and 
the  student  of  moral  philosophy  ouglit  not  to  be  ashamed  of  bad  food 
and  bad  clothes." 

Obedience  to  the  laws  of  the  school  and  success  in  learning  are  re- 
warded by  the  praises  of  the  master,  and  gifts  of  pencils  and  ink.  The 
disobedient  and  lazy,  who  neither  write  well  nor  learn  their  lessons 
accurately,  are  to  be  punished;  first  of  all  by  being  made  to  kneel  down 
at  their  seats  during  the  time  a  stick  of  incense  is  burning;  then,  if 
this  private  discipline  does  not  reform  them,  they  must  be  publicly 
disgraced,  by  being  brought  to  kneel  down  at  the  door  of  the  school; 
and  finally,  if  that  should  fail,  they  must  be  flogged. 

The  truth  is,  the  discipline  of  the  master  is  very  severe,  as  full  au- 
thority to  punish  is  ceded  to  him  by  the  boy's  parents,  with  the  only 
reserve  that  he  shall  not  be  maimed,  or  essentially  injured.  It  is  en- 
joined on  schoolmasters  that  they  sedulously  discharge  their  duties 
and  devote  their  whole  time  to  their  pupils,  if  they  would  secure  the 
respect  due  their  station.  In  this  system  the  total  want  of  discipline 
suited  to  improve  the  mental  faculties  is  lamentably  obvious;  and  still 


0    Bo 


3  O 


O  01 


2" 


H  '°B: 


c3fe> 

42  O 
m 

S    ft  .»-. 

2      to  m  O 

"O   o  <u 

—  *^  o 

-K  C 
•^    >■£ 

«!       re 

o  =  .S 

'^  CSJ 
0)  o  " 

=  a£ 

'—  dj  s 


is  S  » 

<=  c  fr 

r^    i^    Qj 


C  £  s- 
■Mb  eS 


THE  QOVEBNMENT  OF  CHINA.  161 

it  is  surprising  what  attention  is  paid  to  etiquette,  and  the  formation 
of  the  moral  powers  according  to  the  mould  prepared  for  them  in  an- 
tiquity. Were  the  same  degree  of  attention  devoted  to  the  cultivation 
of  useful  branches  of  science,  what  prodigious  results  might  accrue  to 
so  numerous  a  people,  whose  minds  might  then  soon  become,  as  they 
express  the  idea,  "saturated  with  useful  knowledge." 

The  national  district  schools,  intended  for  graduates  of  the  lowest 
rank,  are  so  ill-conducted  that  until  the  period  of  public  examination 
arrives  they  are  seldom  or  never  attended.  Public  examinations,  pre- 
paratory to  the  attainment  of  degrees,  were  instituted  during  the  dy- 
nasty of  T'ang,  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  persons  to  fill  the  offices  of 
government,  the  principle  of  which,  with  slight  modification,  continues 
to  the  present  day.  It  is  not  the  object  of  the  government  to  create 
a  class  of  learned  men  who  shall  enlarge  the  boundaries  of  human 
knowledge,  and  consequently  extend  the  empire  of  the  mind;  but  only 
to  impart  the  few  general  principles  and  maxims  already  possessed  to 
talented  men  who  will  faithfully  employ  them  in  ruling  the  mass  of 
the  people,  according  to  the  favorite  adage,  "the  man  who  seeks  exten- 
sive learaing  must  study  ancient  principles." 

To  this  end  the  government  prescribes  what  books  shall  be  studied, 
which  consist  only  of  those  friendly  to  despotic  principles;  forbids  the 
reading  and  writing  of  all  others  supposed  to  be  adverse  to  its  rights; 
and  disallows  all  innovations  but  such  as  originate  with  itself,  which 
being  of  imperceptible  progress,  and  confined  to  the  modification  of  a 
few  elementary  moral  truths  propagated  by  the  ancients,  discoveries 
in  science  and  increase  of  useful  knowledge  are  forcibly  obstructed. 
Hence  an  entire  stagnation  of  mental  power,  otherwise  sufficient  to 
have  created  incalculable  resources  of  improvement,  must  continue  to 
curse  the  largest  and  fairest  portion  of  the  globe,  until  the  time  comes 
when  the  latest  improvements  in  science  and  literature  gain  entrance 
from  the  Western  world. 

The  national  literary  examination  for  those  who  have  attained  the 
lowest  degree,  takes  place  at  each  district  once  in  three  years,  and  is 
conducted  by  its  own  magistrates  and  professors  of  literature.  The 
general  examination  of  recommended  persons,  those  of  the  second  de- 
gree from  every  province  of  the  empire,  must  take  place  at  Peking  also 
once  in  three  years.  All  the  candidates  enter  the  court  yard  to  have 
their  names  enrolled  on  the  list  on  the  day  preceding  the  examination, 


162  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHINA. 

and  remain  until  the  day  after  it  is  over,  so  tliat  they  are  compelled  to 
pass  two  nights  without  regular  rest  or  food;  and  when  death  occurs, 
which  is  not  infrequent,  the  body  must  be  conveyed  out  of  the  area 
through  a  hole  dug  for  the  purpose  in  the  wall,  to  avoid  the  infelicity 
of  defiling  the  imperial  gateway  with  a  corpse. 

None  is  admitted  as  a  candidate  for  this  degree  unless  he  shall 
have  attained  the  first,  which  is  conferred  at  the  district  college  by 
the  resident  provincial  principal.  There  are  two  other  degrees,  the 
Tsin-sze  and  Han-lin,  which  are  conferred  in  the  capital,  the  last  in  the 
presence  of  the  emperor. 

The  Chinese  think  no  gentleman's  education  is  complete  without 
traveling  to  visit  the  most  remarkable  regions,  lakes  and  mountains 
in  their  own  empire,  to  which  allusions  are  constantly  made  in  their 
lighter  literature,  and  for  whose  guidance  they  have  a  specific  directory. 
No  admission  is  made,  however,  of  the  benefit  that  would  accrue  from  a 
visit  to  foreign  countries,  in  the  removal  of  prejudice  and  the  illum- 
ination of  the  mind. 

There  are  separate  schools  for  youths  between  ten  and  twenty  years 
of  age,  where  the  collateral  branches  of  the  imperial  family  are  taught 
Manchu  Tartar  and  Chinese  literature,  with  horsemanship  and  archery. 
These  two  last  are  indispensable;  for  as  the  present  dynasty  obtained 
the  empire  by  the  sword  and  bow,  it  ordains  the  same  means  to  be 
used  for  the  preservation  of  it.  Within  the  past  few  years,  however, 
the  necessity  of  more  modern  methods  of  warfare  has  been  brought 
home  with  such  force  to  the  Chinese  government  that  considerable 
study  has  been  devoted  to  the  armaments  of  the  nations  of  the  West. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

Ceremonies  Attending  tlie  Marriage  Rite  in  Ancient  Times —  "The  Moon-light  Old  Gentle- 
man"— Manner  of  Courtship — Proposals  by  Proxy — Wedding  Gifts — Literary  Attainments 
Recognized  as  an  Equivalent  for  Wealth — Power  of  the  Husband  over  the  Wife — Women 
Placed  Under  Many  Disadvantages — Stories  of  Infajiticide  Greatly  Exaggerated — Funeral 
Rites — Human  Sacrifices  at  One  Time  General— The  Period  of  Mourning — Constant  Antic- 
ipation of  Death — Disposition  of  Property — How  the  Chinese  are  I^amed. 

THE  marriage  covenant  has  ever  been  considered  as  most  im- 
portant all  over  the  East,  the  rites  of  which  have  from  the 
earliest  times  been  celebrated  with  every  demonstration  of  joy 
and  splendor  befitting  the  rank  of  the  parties.  The  peculiar 
reserve  of  the  sexes  towards  each  other,  which  so  strikingly  character- 
izes oriental  manners,  has  originated  usages  of  a  description  totally 
alien  from  those  to  which  we  of  the  Western  world  are  accustomed. 

The  influence  of  climate  is  doubtless  the  principal  cause  of  early 
marriages;  but  many  customs,  independent  of  physical  causes,  are  pe- 
culiar to  the  quarter  of  the  globe  which  human  population  is  supposed 
to  have  first  occupied.  So  faithfully  and  continuously  have  remote 
customs  been  handed  down,  that,  by  comparing  the  oldest  records  of 
the  world  with  practices  observed  at  this  day,  we  seem  borne  back- 
wards to  the  very  period  in  which  the  patriarchs  and  fathers  of  human 
kind  existed. 

The  peculiar  form  of  the  ceremonial  in  the  primitive  ages  of  the 
world  does  not  appear,  except  in  the  congregation  of  friends  at  the 
nuptial  feast;  but  if  there  were  any  other  it  was  doubtless  of  the  sim- 
jjlest  and  most  expressive  kind.  The  parents  of  the  parties  always 
formed  the  contract;  and  if  we  on  some  points  except  the  Hebrews,  we 
are  struck  with  the  entire  surrender  by  children  of  their  future  destiny, 
with  whatever  predilection  they  might  have,  to  the  guidance  of  parental 
judgment.  Though  sons  and  daughters  of  respectable  families  in  the 
West  seek  the  approval  of  their  parents,  still,  excepting  the  royal  fam- 
ilies of  Europe,  nothing  occurs  similar  to  the  constant  practice  in  the 
East  of  parties  seeing  each  other  for  the  first  time  on  the  evening  of 
their  nuptials. 

163 


164  DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

This  arrangement,  which  to  us  seems  absurd,  is  based  on  the  custom 
of  prohibiting  interviews  between  the  sexes  before  marriage.  In  China, 
both  parties  are  usually  very  young,  and  while  it  is  customary  for  the 
parents  or  guardians  to  choose  for  them  their  life  companions,  yet 
some  regard  is  shown  for  their  desires,  and  a  marriage  is  seldom  forced 
on  a  son  or  a  daughter  expressly  against  their  will. 

A  go-between,  who  may  be  of  either  sex,  is  essential  to  the  forma- 
tion of  the  marriage  union.  The  title  and  office  are  derived  from  a  per- 
sonage called  "the  moon-light  old  gentleman,"  who  was  seen  in  ancient 
times  by  an  aspirant  to  the  conjugal  relation  reading  the  marriage 
book  of  fate  by  moonlight,  and  bending  over  a  bag  in  which  were  the 
red  strings  to  bind  together  the  feet  of  man  and  wife;  a  bond,  he  said, 
which  could  not  be  severed  though  the  individuals  lived  ever  so  widely 
apart,  and  the  families  cherished  against  each  other  ever  so  desperate 
an  enmity. 

A  writer  on  Chinese  folk-lore  gives  the  following  version  of  this 
legend:  During  the  period  of  the  Tang  dynasty  (618-907),  a  man  named 
Hwuy  Ko,  while  staying  at  the  town  of  Sung,  saw  one  evening  an  old 
man  reading  a  book  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  who  addressed  him  thus: 
"This  book  is  the  register  of  the  engagements  of  marriage  for  all  places 
under  heaven,  and  in  my  pockets  I  have  red  cords  with  which  I  tie 
together  the  feet  of  those  who  are  destined  to  become  man  and  wife. 
When  this  cord  has  been  tied,  though  the  parties  are  of  unfriendly 
families,  or  of  different  nations,  their  fates  are  fixed.  Your  future 
wife,"  said  he,  "is  the  child  of  the  old  woman  who  sells  vegetables  in 
yonder  shop  on  the  north." 

Upon  hearing  this  Hwuy  Ko  started  off  in  search  of  the  old  woman, 
and  found  her  possessed  of  such  a  hideous  little  infant,  about  twelve 
months  old,  that  in  despair  he  hired  a  man  to  kill  the  child.  Years 
after  the  prefect  of  a  neighboring  district  gave  Hwuy  Ko  in  marriage 
to  a  beautiful  young  lady  whom  he  affirmed  to  be  his  own  daughter. 
Seeing  that  his  bride  always  wore  an  artificial  flower  over  her  eyebrow, 
Hwuy  Ko  asked  her  reason  for  doing  so.  "I  am  the  daughter,"  she 
replied,  "of  the  prefect's  brother  who  died  at  Sung  when  I  was  an  infant, 
leaving  me  to  the  care  of  an  old  woman  who  sold  vegetables.  One  day, 
when  I  was  out  with  her  in  the  street  a  ruffian  struck  me  on  my  eye- 
brow, and  made  such  a  scar  that  I  am  obliged  to  wear  this  flower  to 
conceal  it."    On  hearing  this  Hwuy  Ko  recognized  the  immutability  of 


DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY.  165 

fate,  and  from  that  time  fon\^ard  red  silken  cords  have  been  entwined 
in  the  marriage  cards  of  every  pair  in  China.  Hence  the  expression 
"silken  strings,"  vi^hich  bind  the  nuptial  cups,  and  perhaps  also  the 
origin  of  the  proverb,  "whether  a  wife  shall  be  a  treasure,  and  children 
a  source  of  emolument,  is  previously  fixed  by  fate." 

After  the  parents  of  a  young  man  have  resolved  to  procure  a  wife 
for  him,  the  first  person  employed  is  the  diviner,  who,  having  ascer- 
tained the  name  of  the  young  lady,  the  day  and  hour  of  her  birth,  from 
the  go-between,  by  whom  she  is  seen  and  described  to  the  youth's 
friends,  proceeds  on  the  principles  of  his  art — astrology,  the  flight  of 
birds,  or  some  other  natural  phenomenon — ^to  determine  whether  the 
consummation  of  such  a  marriage  would  prove  felicitous.  If  it  would, 
the  go-between  is  sent  by  the  friends  of  the  youth  to  announce  the 
joyful  tidings  to  the  lady's  parents,  and  request  them  to  give  a  written 
promise  of  marriage,  the  reception  of  which  is  acknowledged  by  costly 
gifts  of  silk,  silver,  gold,  sheep,  wine,  fruit  and  other  presents,  accord- 
ing to  his  circumstances,  which  are  made  by  the  young  man  to  the 
maiden  to  ratify  the  espousals. 

The  next  step  in  the  process  requires  that  a  messenger  be  sent  to 
the  parents  of  the  bride-elect  to  ask  them  to  fix  a  day  for  the  solemni- 
zation of  the  marriage,  after  which  the  preparatory  ceremonies  are 
concluded  by  the  bridegroom's  going  out  in  the  evening  to  meet  his 
bride.  But  although  the  preliminary  arrangements  are  thus  extended 
to  six  divisions,  these  are  practically  comprehended  in  three:  writing 
the  marriage  settlement,  sending  the  previous  presents,  and  solemnizing 
the  nuptials.  This  is  the  Chinese  ceremony.  The  Tartar  ceremony  differs 
from  it,  in  that  a  matron  is  sent  from  the  bridegroom  with  a  pin  of 
gold,  silver,  wood  or  copper,  to  braid  the  young  lady's  hair,  which  is 
considered  as  fixing  the  espousals. 

The  preliminary  customs  in  use  with  Chinese  youth  are,  to  wear  a 
scarlet  scarf  in  token  of  Joy,  together  with  a  bonnet,  formally  placed 
on  the  head  by  his  father,  and  to  take  another  name  in  addition  to  those 
he  already  has.  The  young  Chinese  female  changes  the  mode  of  braid- 
ing her  hair,  assisted  by  her  friends,  who  shave  her  face,  and  attend  to 
other  ceremonies,  one  of  which  is  to  sit  and  weep  with  her  until  the 
day  that  she  leaves  the  parental  abode  to  serve  a  husband. 

On  the  day  of  marriage  relatives  and  friends  send  their  congratu- 
lations and  good  wishes,  accompanied  with  presents;  some  suitable  to 


166  DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

the  toilet,  others  of  a  more  important  character,  among  which  are  tab- 
lets bearing  felicitous  inscriptions,  and  geese.  Wild  geese  have  been 
recotrnized  from  the  most  ancient  times  in  China  as  an  emblem  of  con- 
jugal  harmony,  by  reason  of  their  proceeding  in  company  north  or 
south, agreeably  to  the  dictates  of  nature;  that  is, in  compliance  with  the 
requirements  of  the  season. 

Domestic  geese  are  honored  as  an  emblem  of  fidelity,  which  is  sym- 
bolized by  a  goose  made  of  wood  or  tin,  and  carried  before  the  marriage 
procession,  consisting  of  the  bridegroom  and  his  friends  or  attendants, 
who  in  the  evening  of  the  marriage  day  go  with  music,  lanterns,  an 
ornamented  chair,  and  an  artificial  pavilion,  to  the  home  of  the  bride 
to  take  her  to  her  husband's  abode.  When  she  arrives  at  the  gate, 
various  musical  instruments  are  played,  and  the  bride's  attendants 
carry  her  on  their  shoulders  over  a  pan  of  coals  placed  within  the  door 
into  her  chamber.  Afterwards  the  bride  and  groom  sit  at  a  table  and 
eat  together  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives,  and  perform  the  ceremonj- 
of  joining  cups,  by  drinking  a  little  of  "the  wine  of  the  decorated  candle." 
The  bridegroom  drinks  a  small  quantity  of  it;  and  the  bride  places  the 
cup  to  her  lips,  while  she  covers  her  face  with  one  hand,  under  the 
pretence  of  drinking,  this  act  being  considered  as  sealing  the  marriage 
covenant,  is  an  indispensable  part  of  the  ceremony. 

There  are  various  other  ceremonies,  very  trivial  in  themselves,  but  of 
vast  importance  in  the  estimation  of  the  Chinese  to  the  future  well- 
being  of  the  newly  married  pair.  A  matron  who  has  reared  a  numerous 
family  must  prepare  the  sleeping  room,  and  pronounce  a  benediction 
on  the  parties.  The  day  after  the  marriage  the  husband  and  wife  enter 
the  hall  to  worsliip  the  family  deities,  and  pay  their  respects  to  their 
parents  and  other  relatives.  On  the  third  day,  the  female  visits  her 
parents  in  a  decorated  chair  provided  by  her  husband,  who  gives  an 
entertainment  on  the  occasion.  The  nuptial  ceremonies  are  kept  up 
for  a  month,  at  the  end  of  which  the  bride's  parents  send  her  a  head- 
dress, and  provide  a  feast  for  their  son  and  daughter,  which  concludes 
the  whole  series  of  ceremonial  rites. 

It  is  customary  in  China  for  sons  after  their  marriage  to  live  in  their 
father's  house  w4th  their  wives  and  families.  This  custom  is  some- 
times the  source  of  inconveniently  large  households,  which  has  given 
rise  to  singular  practices,  and  to  peculiarities  in  the  code  of  ethics  and 
ceremonies;  such  as  that  a  brother  and  sister-in-law  should  not  be  per- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY.  167 

mitted  to  converse  together,  an  ancient  rule  whicli  would  probably 
never  have  been  adopted  had  the  parties  occupied  separate  abodes. 

Poor  parents  who  seek  a  wife  for  their  sons  frequently  calculate  on 
the  services  of  their  daughter-in-law  during  their  declining  years  and 
advancing  infirmities;  for  as,  on  the  same  principle,  their  own  daugh- 
ters immediatelv  on  their  marriage  are  located  in  other  families,  so 
they  themselves  would  be  destitute  of  female  aid  if  not  provided  for 
by  this  means. 

It  is  the  custom  in  China  for  the  husbands  to  pay  an  equivalent  to 
the  wife's  parents  for  her  services,  which  are  to  be  transferred  to  the 
husband's  relatives;  hence  the  proverb,  "if  you  can  obtain  a  virtuous 
son-in-law,  do  not  exact  large  sums  of  money."  In  matrimonial  alli- 
ances great  regard  is  had  to  the  probability  of  hartaiony  and  peace 
between  the  two  families,  and  care  is  taken  to  adjust  the  wealth  of  one 
to  the  literary  attainments  of  the  other.  A  person  possessed  of  a  higher 
education  may  reasonably  expect  to  obtain  an  alliance  with  a  family 
distinguished  for  its  respectability  and  wealth.  But  in  such  cases  an 
incongruous  elevation  of  a  son  to  a  union  with  a  lady  of  superior  man- 
ners necessarily  brings  his  wife  down  to  a  level  with  the  habits  of  his 
own  family,  perhaps  poor  and  mean  in  its  domestic  establishment, 
though  he  himself  may  be  distinguished  by  literary  honors. 

Inconveniences  often  arise  from  such  inharmonious  combinations, 
and  cases  are  frequent  where  the  members  of  the  two  households  come 
to  blows.  Severe  punishment  is  decreed  against  a  woman  who  shall 
strike  or  maltreat  her  husband;  but  the  husband's  beating  the  wife, 
providing  he  does  not  maim  or  seriously  injure  her,  is  only  to  be  con- 
sidered in  the  light  of  wholesome  discipline,  of  which  the  law  takes 
no  cognizance. 

The  laAvs  of  China  place  the  female  sex  under  many  disadvantages, 
and  the  legal  discrimination  is  borne  out  in  the  every-day  life  of  the 
people.  The  birth  of  a  son  is  a  source  of  gladness  and  delight,  which 
excites  the  kindliest  feelings  of  the  husband  towards  the  wife;  that  of 
a  daughter,  one  of  mingled  disappointment  and  sorrow,  not  merely 
because  hopes  have  been  blighted,  but  because  it  is  looked  upon  as  a  ca- 
lamity, and  is  often  the  cause  of  harsh  treatment  of  the  mother. 

The  husband's  relatives,  too,  may  increase  her  troubles  and  greatly 
annoy  her  without  any  recourse,  except  in  the  degree  of  merit  awarded 
her  in  the  scale  of  virtues  by  moral  philosophers.    Everything  on  the 


168  DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

part  of  the  wife  must  be  conducted  with  becoming  gravity  and  humility, 
especiall}^  towards  her  husband,  whatever  his  conduct  may  be  to  her. 
It  was  the  ancient  custom  for  the  woman,  three  months  previous  to 
marriage,  to  be  conducted  to  an  altar  dedicated  to  deceased  ancestors, 
that  she  might  be  taught  the  virtues  of  a  wife,  which  consist  of  chastity 
and  obedience;  the  words  of  a  wife,  which  should  be  of  a  soothing  na- 
ture; the  manners  of  a  wife,  which  should  be  mild  and  amiable;  and 
the  duties  of  a  wife,  which  then  consisted  chiefly  in  preparing  silk 
and  flax.  The  ceremony  was  concluded  with  sacrifices  of  fish  and  water- 
plants,  which  were  offered  as  pledges  of  submission  to  her  husband. 

It  may  seem  surprising  that  with  all  the  additional  toils  and  pri- 
vations of  married  life  in  China,  that  it  should  be  so  readily  and  gen- 
erally preferred.  Yet  the  fact  remains  that  it  is  regarded  as  a  boon 
by  all  classes,  and  the  laws  of  the  nation  provide  a  punishment  for  the 
master  of  a  slave  who  shall  neglect  to  procure  her  a  husband  at  the 
proper  time  if  she  desires  one.  On  the  other  hand,  if  a  daughter,  from 
attachment  to  her  parents,  voluntarily  chooses  celibacy,  so  that  she 
may  serve  them  as  long  as  they  live,  the  merit  of  such  conduct  is  con- 
sidered by  moral  writers  to  be  of  the  highest  kind.  Similar  conduct 
in  a  female  slave  attached  to  her  master  is  also  highly  honored;  but 
such  acts  must  he  uncontrolled  by  superior  authority. 

The  many  accusations  which  have  been  brought  against  the  people 
of  China  regarding  the  infanticide  of  female  children  have  naturally 
rendered  them  the  objects  of  severe  censure,  and  the  presumed  extent  of 
the  practice  has  been  brought  up  as  an  argument  against  the  prevalence 
of  parental  feeling.  But  there  is  no  question  that  the  extent  of  this 
crime  has  been  greatly  exaggerated.  No  doubt  but  in  occasional  in- 
stances of  female  births  infanticide  does  exist;  but  these  cases  certainly 
occur  in  the  overpopulated  centers,  where  the  difiBculty  of  subsistence 
takes  away  all  hope  from  the  poorest  people  of  being  able  to  rear  their 
offspring.  The  Chinese  are  in  general  peculiarly  fond  of  their  children, 
and  the  attachment  seems  to  be  mutual.  The  instances  at  Canton  of 
the  bodies  of  infants  being  seen  floating  are  not  frequent,  and  may 
reasonably  in  some  cases  be  attributed  to  accident,  where  such  multi- 
tudes are  brought  up  from  their  births  in  small  boats. 

There  was  never  a  more  absurd  blunder  than  to  charge  to  infanticide 
those  instances  in  which  infants  are  found  floating  with  a  hollow  gourd 
about  their  persons,  as  if  the  gourd  were  a  part  of  the  system  of  ex- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY.  169 

posure!  The  very  object  of  attaching  these  gourds  to  the  children 
living  in  boats  is  to  save  them  from  the  risk  of  being  drowned,  and  to 
float  them  until  they  can  be  pulled  out  of  the  water.  That  children 
should  sometimes  be  found  drowned  in  spite  of  this  precaution  is  pos- 
sible enough;  but  to  consider  the  gourds  as  part  and  parcel  of  their  fate 
is  about  as  reasonable  and  correct  as  if  somebody  should  attribute  all 
the  deaths  in  the  United  States  from  drowning  to  the  exertions  of  the 
Humane  Societies. 

A  man's  sons  may  or  may  not  be  instrumental,  by  their  success  in 
learning,  in  reflecting  honor  on  their  parents,  or  advancing  them  in 
worldly  rank  and  prosperity,  but  the  mere  chance  of  this,  joined  to 
the  heavy  responsibility  for  their  conduct,  is  a  great  inducement  to 
fathers  to  bring  them  up  with  care,  and  may  serve  to  account  for  the 
universal  prevalence  of  a  certain  degree  of  education  throughout  the 
empire.  Such  is  the  demand  on  every  individual  for  exertion  in  a  coun- 
try so  thickly  peopled,  that  the  children  of  the  very  lowest  classes, 
whom  extreme  indigence  precludes  from  the  hope  of  rising  by  learn- 
ing, are  trained  to  labor  and  to  the  cares  of  life  almost  from  the  time 
they  can  first  walk. 

With  a  slight  stick  or  pole,  proportioned  to  their  size,  across  their 
shoulders,  young  children  are  constantly  seen  trudging  along  with 
weights,  sometimes  much  heavier  than  they  ought  to  carry,  or  busily 
engaged  in  other  serious  employment  as  assistants  to  their  parents.  In 
a  country  where  the  youngest  cannot  afford  to  be  idle  and  where,  as  the 
proverb  expresses  it,  "to  stop  the  hand  is  the  way  to  stop  the  mouth," 
there  is  an  air  of  staid  gravity  about  some  of  the  children  quite  un- 
suited  to  their  years. 

But  it  is  not  during  his  life  only  that  a  man  looks  for  the  services  of 
his  sons.  It  is  his  consolation  in  declining  years  to  think  that  they 
will  continue  the  performance  of  the  prescribed  rites  in  the  Hall  of 
Ancestors,  and  at  the  family  tombs,  when  he  is  no  more;  and  it  is  the 
absence  of  this  prospect  that  makes  the  childless  doubly  miserable.  The 
superstition  derives  influence  from  the  importance  attached  by  the 
government  to  this  species  of  posthumous  duty;  a  neglect  of  which  is 
severely  punished  by  the  laws. 

Indeed,  of  all  the  subjects  of  their  care,  the  tombs  of  their  ancestors 
are  the  most  religiously  attended  to,  as  they  believe  that  any  neglect  is 
sure  to  be  followed  by  worldly  misfortune.    It  is  almost  the  only  thing 


lYO  DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

tbat  approaches  to  the  character  of  a  "religious  sense"  among  them; 
^or,  throughout  their  superstitious  worship  there  is  a  remarkable  ab- 
sence of  reverence  towards  the  idols  and  priests  of  the  Buddha  and 
Taou  sects. 

When  the  parent  of  a  family  dies,  a  messenger  is  despatched  to  an- 
nounce the  fact  to  relatives  and  friends;  and  a  tablet  is  suspended  at  the 
door  of  wealthy  persons,  inscribed  with  the  name  and  age  of  the  de- 
ceased. White  being  used  in  mourning  by  the  Chinese,  pieces  of  white 
paper  are  pasted  on  each  side  of  the  door,  to  indicate  the  occurrence 
among  individuals  of  ordinary  rank.  Children  and  grandchildren  of 
the  deceased,  clothed  in  white,  with  a  white  bandage  around  their 
heads,  sit  on  the  ground  weeping  over  the  corpse,  which  is  covered 
with  white  cloth  or  silk.  The  eldest  son  puts  two  small  copper  coins 
in  an  earthen  bowl,  which  he  carries  to  the  moat  which  surrounds 
the  city,  or  to  the  well  at  the  gate  of  the  village,  where  he  deposits 
the  money  and  takes  some  water.  He  returns  home  with  the  water  thus 
purchased,  and  the  ceremony  is  performed  of  washing  the  face  and 
body  of  the  corpse,  which  is  then  put  into  a  coffin  of  state.  A  tablet 
is  erected  bearing  the  name  of  the  deceased;  an  eulogy  on  his  character 
as  a  probationary  being,  and  the  designation  of  the  dynasty  under 
which  he  has  lived.  These  tablets  vary  in  form  and  inscription  in 
different  parts  of  the  empire. 

The  first  inscription  on  paper  is  burnt  and  substituted  by  wood, 
before  which,  morning  and  evening  for  seven  successive  days,  incense 
matches  are  lighted,  and  the  children  of  the  family  prostrate  them- 
selves. At  the  end  of  three  weeks  the  funeral  takes  place,  attended  by 
friends  and  relatives,  who  weep  aloud.  The  tablet  is  carried  in  a  sedan 
chair,  and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  where  oblations  are  ren- 
dered and  prostrations  again  performed.  After  interment  the  tablet  is 
brought  back,  and  sacrifices  of  pigs  roasted  whole,  three  or  four  differ- 
ent kinds  of  animal  food,  fruits  and  pastry  are  offered  with  accompany- 
ing prostrations.  Instead  of  seven  days,  a  period  of  seven  weeks  is  ob- 
served by  some  rich  families,  who  also  defer  interment  many  years. 

Booms  of  paper  supplied  with  furniture  and  domestics  are  burnt 
and  passed  into  the  invisible  state  for  the  use  of  the  deceased.  In 
more  barbarous  ages,  slaves,  attendants  and  domestic  animals  were 
slaughtered;  and  the  wardrobe,  furniture  and  other  thiups  belonsfino; 
to  the  deceased  were  consumed  by  fire  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  dis- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY.  171 

embodied  spirit.  This  cruel  custom  originated  in  tlie  following  man- 
ner: In  remote  antiquity  when  rich  persons  died,  imperfect  representa- 
tions of  human  beings,  made  of  straw  and  supplied  with  springs,  were 
entombed  with  them  as  their  future  attendants;  but  subsequently, 
about  the  age  of  Confucius,  images  for  this  purpose  were  made  of  wood, 
and  bore  a  more  striking  resemblance  to  living  persons  than  those 
ancient  forms  which  they  superseded. 

The  Sage,  foreseeing  that  such  a  practice  would  eventually  lead 
to  the  sacrifice  of  human  life,  severely  reprehended  the  inventor  as  an 
enemy  to  his  species,  and  declared  him  to  be  justly  deprived  of  posterity 
for  his  offence;  one  of  the  heaviest  calamities  with  which,  in  Chinese 
estimation,  he  could  be  visited.  The  horrible  usage,  introduced  not 
long  after,  verified  the  prediction  of  Confucius,  whose  benevolent  appre- 
hensions respecting  the  waste  of  human  life  were  realized  to  a  fearful 
extent.  For  when  Woo-king  of  the  state  of  Tsin  died,  sixty-six  persons 
were  put  to  death  and  interred  with  him.  One  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  ordinary  individuals,  together  with  three  persons  of  superior 
rank,  were  devoted  by  death  to  the  service  of  Muh-kung  in  another 
world. 

Ctie  Ilwang-te,  the  first  universal  monarch  of  China,  commanded 
that  his  household  females  and  domestics  should  be  put  to  death  and 
interred  with  him.  The  custom  survived  this  period  for  some  time;  and 
when  persons  offered  themselves  voluntarily  to  die,  from  attachment 
to  their  masters  or  friends,  such  sacrifices  were  esteemed  most  noble 
and  disinterested;  but  moral  writers  of  a  later  age  alike  condemn  the 
exactors  and  the  victims  of  such  barbarity.  Modern  times  are  satisfied 
with  consecrating  by  fire  silver  paper,  and  representations  of  earthly 
enjoyments,  accompanied  by  sacrifices,  offerings  and  libations. 

Judging  by  what  is  seen  at  these  seasons,  a  stranger  must  be  im- 
pressed by  the  humanity  of  the  national  disposition,  as  the  object  is 
so  evidently  to  serve  progenitors  and  supply  their  supposed  wants. 
Nor  is  the  service  confined  to  those  by  whom  relative  obligations  have 
been  conferred  on  earth,  for  there  is  a  public  institution,  supported  by 
voluntary  subscriptions,  which  professes  to  supply  the  necessities  of 
orphan  spirits,  who  have  no  surviving  relatives  to  care  for  them.  There 
is  a  story,  on  which  this  practice  is  founded,  of  a  young  man  named 
Muh-leen,  to  whom  the  epithet  Honorable  is  now  attached.  His  mother 
was  a  very  wicked  woman,  and  after  death  consigned  to  punishment 


172  DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

in  Tartarus,  whither  her  pious  and  devoted  son  repaired  to  rescue  her 
from  torment.  When  the  gates  of  "earth's  prison,"  the  Chinese  term 
for  hell,  were  opened,  many  of  the  imprisoned  spirits  escaped  from 
the  regions  of  darkness;  and  hence  the  custom  of  preparing  garments 
of  paper,  and  burning  them  for  the  use  of  the  dead,  spreading  carpets 
on  the  floor,  reciting  numerous  prayers,  and  covering  tables  with  rich 
viands  of  varied  descriptions,  to  remove  from  the  abodes  of  darkness 
disconsolate  spirits  who  have  left  no  relatives  on  earth,  for  the  purpose 
of  elevating  them  to  regions  of  light  and  purity. 

The  period  of  mourning  prescribed  for  parents  by  Confucius  is  three 
years;  the  ground  of  which  is  the  peculiarly  helpless  state  of  infancy 
and  its  entire  dependence  on  parental  care  during  that  time.  This 
system  designs  that  obligations  incurred  by  children  towards  their 
parents  should  be  discharged  in  their  own  maturity,  when  their  parents 
are  descended  into  second  childhood:  The  care  of  parents  on  earth  was 
worthy  the  legislative  ability  and  benevolence  of  the  Sage,  but  he  en- 
dangered his  reputation  for  practical  wisdom  when  he  ordained  rites 
of  worship  for  them  after  death. 

The  constant  anticipation  of  death  is  present  with  the  Chinese,  as 
shown  in  the  practice  adopted  in  many  sections  of  the  country  of  al- 
waj'S  having  a  coffin  placed  outside  the  door  to  receive  the  adult  in- 
habitant who  may  first  require  it.  The  motive  for  this  singular  act  is 
ascribed  to  the  requirements  of  filial  piety,  which  cannot  be  satisfied 
without  coffins  of  prescribed  thickness,  sufficiently  seasoned  to  resist 
premature  decay. 

In  regard  to  the  succession  to  paternal  property,  the  disposal  of  it 
by  will  is  restricted  except  to  the  legal  heirs;  and  there  is  a  law  of 
primogeniture,  inasmuch  as  the  eldest  son,  or  he  who  "buys  water"  at 
the  funeral  rites  has  a  double  portion.  More  correctly  speaking,  per- 
haps, the  property  may  be  said  to  descend  to  the  eldest  son  in  trust 
for  all  the  younger  brothers,  over  whom  he  has  considerable  authority, 
and  who  commonly  live  together  and  club  their  shares,  by  which  means 
families  in  the  over-peopled  country  are  more  easily  subsisted  than 
they  would  otherwise  be,  and  every  man's  income  is  made  to  go  the 
farthest  possible.  To  this  usage,  and  the  necessity  for  it,  may  be  at- 
tributed the  constant  exhortations  in  the  book  of  "Sacred  Edicts,"  rela- 
tive to  the  preservation  of  union  and  concord  among  kindred  and  their 
families. 


DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY.  173 

Yan  Phon  Lee,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Chinese  colony  in  New 
York,  gives  the  following  interesting  account  of  the  manner  of  giving 
names  among  his  people: 

"The  majority  of  the  names  that  you  see  on  the  signs  of  laundries  or 
tea  stores  kept  by  Chinamen  are  simply  fancy  names  adopted  for  their 
auspicious  significance;  for  instance,  'Hop  Sing'  means  'deserving  of 
prosperity,'  'Woh  Loong'  means  'success  through  concord,'  'Nee  Wah' 
means  'integrity  and  harmony.'  They  are  simply  mottoes,  having  no 
reference  to  the  proprietor  or  the  members  of  a  firm  whatsoever.  To 
call  the  proprietor  of  a  laundry  'Nee  Wah'  is  as  absurd  as  calling  the 
members  of  a  Sixth  avenue  dry  goods  firm  'nemo  me  impune  lacessit.' 

"Every  properly  constituted  Chinaman  has  five  names  besides  his 
surname  or  cognomen.  The  last  is  fixed  and  handed  down  from  one 
generation  to  another.  There  are  more  than  300  patronymics  in  China, 
not  counting  those  of  naturalized  subjects  who  originated  from  Tartary. 
Their  derivation  is  various  and  instructive,  and  they  embody  in  the 
curious  hieroglyphic  shapes  many  an  historic  truth  and  reference  to 
dynastic  changes.  The  family  names  of  the  first  Chinese  ambassador 
to  this  country,  Chin  and  Jum,  were  at  one  time,  about  500  B.  C,  the 
names  of  two  principalities  under  the  Chow  kings.  The  descendants 
great  Shun,  the  ideal  ruler  in  the  golden  age  of  China,  were  lords  of 
Chin.  The  descendants  of  one  of  the  younger  brothers  of  Wu,  founder 
of  the  Chow  dynasty,  were  the  petty  sovereigns  of  Jum.  It  is  from 
this  family  that  the  present  minister  to  the  United  States  is  descended. 

"The  family  of  Wu  comes  from  the  feudal  system  of  China,  which 
existed  for  2,000  years.  It  was  abolished  by  the  first  Eimperor  of  Tsin 
dynasty.     He  it  was  who  built  the  Great  Wall. 

"Some  names  denote  certain  mental  or  personal  peculiarities  of 
those  who  first  bore  them.  Others  were  adopted  on  certain  occasions, 
as  some  grand  events  in  the  lives  of  those  who  assumed  them.  Patro- 
nymics were  known  at  the  dawn  of  the  Chinese  authentic  history,  but 
were  not  extensively  used  in  company  with  the  praenomen  in  desig- 
nated until  Confucius'  time.  Confucius'  family  name  of  Kung  was  only 
in  existence  three  generations  before  he  did  it  the  honor  of  bearing  it. 
Kung  means  an  aperture.  Some  men,  born  near  certain  rivers  and 
certain  places,  took  their  names  from  them. 

"The  name  Lee,  which  you  think  has  been  assumed  by  me,  is  merely 
my  Chinese  surname  spelled  with  English  letters.     Lee  in  Chinese 


174  DOMESTIC  LIFE  AND  THE  FAMILY. 

means  *a  plum/  and  is  identical  with  Li,  the  surname  of  Li  Hung  Chang. 
But  I  prefer  the  long  sound  in  double  e  to  the  short,  to  which  some 
may  by  mistake  give  the  long  sound  and  make  the  name  sound  like  lie. 
I  have  not  the  honor  of  being  the  great  minister's  relation.  I  haven't 
the  claim  of  even  a  forty-fifth  cousin.  For  Lee,  or  Li,  is  as  common 
in  China  as  Smith  is  here,  and  is  borne  by  a  larger  number  of  persons 
than  any  other  name. 

"Every  male  child  born  in  China  is  first  called  by  his  'milk  name.' 
When  he  grows  old  enough  to  attend  school  he  takes  a  'book  name.' 
When  he  has  learned  the  mysteries  of  composition  he  competes  for  lit- 
erary honors  under  an  assumed  name,  which  is  finally  adopted.  When 
he  successfully  passes  his  examinations  and  obtains  his  degree  his 
equals  address  him  by  another,  either  coined  by  them  or  adopted  by 
him.    At  his  marriage  he  adopts  still  another,  called  'style.' 

"In  addition  to  those  enumerated,  nicknames  are  also  common.  They 
are  all  fanciful.  We  do  not  have  any  conventional  'Thomas,'  'Richard,' 
or  'Henry.'  All  our  names  are  words  which  mean  something  and  are 
taken  from  the  dictionary.  For  example,  Yan  means  'by  imperial  favor,' 
and  Phou  or  Foo,  signifies  wealth — that  is,  wealth  by  the  emperor's 
favor.  Girls  generally  have  only  the  'milk  name,'  and  oftentimes,  es- 
pecially when  they  have  grown  to  be  women,  they  are  simply  designated 
by  numbers  according  to  the  order  of  their  birth." 


CHAPTER   X. 
CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

Peculiar  Customs  of  the  Chinese  Race — Life  On  the  Rivers  and  Lakes — Opium  Eating  a 
Common  Practice — Rice  Their  Staff  of  Life — Restaurant  Bills  of  Fare — An  Aristocratic 
Menu — Fish  in  Abundance  in  the  Rivers  of  the  Empire — Modes  of  Catching  Them— 
Duck  Breeding  a  Profitable  Industry — How  the  Chinese  Dress — Costumes  of  Officials — 
What  the  Women  Wear— How  They  Treat  Their  Faces  and  Their  Feet— Origin  of 
the  Queue. 


URNING  to  the  every-day  customs  and  manners  of  the  Chinese, 
it  is  passing  strange  to  find  how  diametrically  opposed  they 
are  to  what  we  have  been  familiar  with.  In  a  country  "where/ 


T 

X.  as  has  been  said  by  Wingrove  Cook,  "the  roses  have  no  fra- 
grance, and  the  women  no  petticoats;  where  the  laborer  has  no  Sabbath, 
and  the  magistrate  no  sense  of  honor;  where  the  needle  points  to 
the  south,  and  the  sign  of  being  puzzled  is  to  scratch  the  antipodes  of 
the  head;  where  the  place  of  honor  is  on  the  left  hand,  and  the  seat 
of  intellect  is  in  the  stomach;  where  to  take  off  your  hat  is  an  insolent 
gesture,  and  to  wear  white  garments  is  to  put  yourself  in  mourning," 
it  would  at  first  sight  seem  useless  to  seek  for  any  point  of  similarity 
with  ourselves. 

But  it  is  extremely  probable,  for  instance,  that  the  choice  of  the 
left  as  the  seat  of  honor  is  in  principle  entirely  at  one  with  our  custom 
of  considering  the  right  hand  as  the  place  due  to  the  most  highly  hon- 
ored guest,  and  that  both  are  survivals  of  the  ancient  and  almost  uni- 
versal adoration  of  the  sun.  The  needle  of  the  Chinese  compass  points 
towards  the  south,  and  every  house  in  China  of  any  pretensions  faces 
the  same  way,  as  well  as  the  state  seats  in  all  reception  rooms.  The 
place  on  the  left  of  the  host,  therefore,  is  that  nearest  to  the  light- 
bringing,  life-producing  East,  and  hence  its  title  to  honor;  and  in  the 
same  way  the  opposite  custom  among  ourselves  is  susceptible  of  a  like 
interpretation. 

In  daily  life  the  Chinese  are  frugal,  sober  and  industrious.  Their 
wants  are  few,  and  they  are  easily  satisfied.  The  poorer  classes  live 
almost  entirely  on  rice  and  vegetables,  to  which  they  sometimes  add 
small  pieces  of  fish  or  meat.    Their  clothes  are  of  the  cheapest  kind,  and 

175 


176  CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

they  are  so  accustomed  to  crowded  apartments  that  house  rent  forms 
an  insignificant  item  in  a  Chinaman's  expenditure.  Thus  a  Chinaman 
can  live  where  an  American  or  a  European  would  starve,  and  it  is  on 
account  of  the  advantages  which  he  thus  possesses,  combined  with 
sobriety  and  frugality,  that  he  is  able  to  underbid  the  workman  in  our 
western  states,  and  the  English  colonist  in  Australia,  in  almost  every 
branch  of  industry. 

The  over-populated  condition  in  which  China  has  been  for  so  many 
centuries  has  had  a  powerful  influence  in  thus  moulding  the  Chinese 
character.  Vast  as  China  is  it  cannot  contain  all  those  who  call  them- 
selves her  sons  and  daughters,  and  in  many  sections  a  great  number 
of  the  inhabitants  are  driven  to  live  in  boats  on  the  rivers  and  lakes. 
It  would  be  very  difficult  to  say  how  the  boat  population  provide  food 
for  themselves  and  families;  indeed,  were  it  not  for  the  extreme  cheap- 
ness of  their  ordinary  daily  food,  and  for  their  sober  habits,  they  could 
not  do  so. 

Spirits  appear  to  have  no  great  attraction  for  the  Chinese.  They 
drink  them  occasionally,  and  sometimes  to  excess,  but  a  reeling  China- 
man is  rarely  to  be  seen  in  the  streets.  Drunkenness  is  not  a  national 
vice,  but,  unfortunately,  their  abstinence  does  not  extend  to  opium,  a 
drug  which  seems  to  have  a  greater  attraction  for  them  than  for  any 
other  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  They  take  to  it  greedily,  and 
when  once  the  habit  of  smoking  it  becomes  confirmed,  the  difficulty  of 
relinquishing  it  is  exceedingly  great. 

The  staff  of  life  in  China  is  rice.  It  is  eaten,  and  always  eaten,  from 
north  to  south,  and  from  east  to  west,  except  among  the  very  jjoor 
people  in  some  of  the  northern  non-rice-producing  provinces,  where 
millet  takes  its  place.  In  all  other  parts  the  big  bowl  of  rice  forms  the 
staple  of  the  meals  eaten  by  the  people,  and  it  is  accompanied  by  vege- 
tables, fish  or  meat,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  household. 
Among  some  people  there  is  a  disinclination  to  eat  meat  owing  to  the 
influence  of  Buddhism,  which  teaches  the  doctrine  of  the  transmigra- 
tion of  souls,  and  devout  followers  of  that  sect  naturally  avoid  partak- 
ing of  the  flesh  of  any  animal  which  might  possibly  have  been  their 
dearest  deceased  friend  or  relation  in  another  form  of  existence.  But 
the  more  general  reason  for  the  preference  of  vegetables  to  meat  is  that 
they  are  chieaper. 

At  the  cottage  meal  a  basin  is  placed  opposite  each  person,  and 


S   CO 


•r  ca 

C8  5 

o  C 

oiXI 

^  ft 

o  0/ 

■^  J3 

^ 

ft*" 

0 

M 

'!) 

o  C 

W 

on: 

u 

.2  3 

0 

'S  « 

^'h 

itj'" 

Cd  <M 

0 

-W     ° 

a 

^   0) 

Mi: 

w 

S  to 

*^  o 
ft 


S      3 


CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE.  179 

by  the  side  a  pair  of  chop-sticks,  while  in  the  middle  of  the  table  stands 
a  big  bowl  of  steaming  rice.  Each  person  fills  his  basin  from  this  bowl, 
and,  holding  it  up  to  his  chin  with  his  left  hand,  he  shovels  its  contents 
into  his  mouth  with  his  chop-sticks  at  an  astonishing  rate.  The  chop- 
sticks are  held  between  the  first  and  second,  and  the  second  and  third 
fingers,  and  constant  practice  enables  a  Chinaman  to  lift  up  and  hold 
the  minutest  atoms  of  food,  oily  and  slippery  as  they  often  are,  with 
the  greatest  ease.  To  most  foreigners  their  skillful  use  is  well  nigh 
impossible,  and  at  the  houses  of  officials  and  others  who  are  in  the 
habit  of  entertaining  "foreign  devils,"  it  has  now  become  the  practice, 
in  deference  to  our  awkwardness,  to  furnish  the  guest  with  knives  and 
forks. 

But  to  return  to  the  cottage  dinner.  Dotted  about  on  the  table  are 
small  bowls  containing  vegetables,  or  fish,  or  meats,  as  the  case  may 
be,  chopped  up  fine,  and  seasoned  with  soy  and  other  sauces.  Each 
diner  helps  himself  as  he  is  inclined  from  these  common  dishes  with 
bis  chop-sticks  between  his  mouthfuls  of  rice,  and  washes  all  down 
either  with  tea  or  warm  water.  Cold  water  is  never  drunk,  as  it  is  con- 
sidered to  be  unwholesome. 

The  meats  most  commonly  eaten  are  pork,  mutton,  goat's  flesh  and 
beef,  besides  fowls,  ducks  and  pheasants,  and,  in  the  north,  deers  and 
hares.  But  in  some  parts  of  the  country  it  must  be  confessed  that  less 
savory  viands  find  their  place  on  the  dinner  table.  In  Canton,  for  ex- 
ample, dried  rats  have  a  recognized  place  in  the  poulterer's  shops,  and 
find  a  ready  market,  not  only  among  those  who  have  a  taste  for  them, 
but  also  among  people  who  have  a  tendency  to  baldness,  the  flesh  of 
rats  being  considered  an  effectual  "hair-restorer."  Horse-flesh  is  also 
exposed  for  sale,  and  there  are  even  to  be  found  dog  and  cat  restau- 
rants. 

Describing  from  personal  acquaintance  one  of  these  establishments. 
Archdeacon  Gray  says  in  his  "China,"  "The  flesh  is  cut  into  small  pieces, 
and  fried  with  water-chestnuts  and  garlic  in  oil.  In  the  window  of  the 
restaurants  dogs'  carcasses  are  suspended,  for  the  purpose,  I  suppose, 
of  attracting  the  attention  of  passengers.  Placards  are  sometimes 
Ijlaced  above  the  door,  setting  forth  that  the  flesh  of  black  dogs  and 
cats  can  be  served  up  at  a  moment's  notice.  On  the  walls  of  the  dining 
room  there  are  bills  of  fare.    The  following  is  a  translation  of  one: 


180  CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

"Cat's  flesh,  one  basin 10  cents. 

Black  cat's  flesh,  one  small  basin 5  cents. 

Wine,  one  bottle  3  cents. 

Wine,  one  small  bottle 1^  cents. 

Congee,  one  basin 2  cash. 

Ketchup,  one  basin  3  cash. 

Black  dog's  grease,  1  tael 4  cents. 

Black  cat's  eyes,  one  pair 4  cents. 

All  guests  dining  at  this  restaurant  are  requested  to  be  punctual  in 
their  payments." 

The  flesh  of  black  dogs  and  cats,  and  especially  the  former,  are 
preferred  as  being  more  nutritive;  and  on  a  certain  day  in  the  begin- 
ning of  summer  it  is  customarj^,  in  the  south  of  China,  for  people  to 
partake  of  dog's  flesh  to  fortify  themselves  against  the  coming  heat, 
and  as  a  preventive  against  disease.  In  the  province  of  Shan-tung  dog- 
hams  are  cured  and  exported.  But  the  price  of  these  makes  their 
general  use  prohibitory,  and  places  them  within  the  reach  only  of 
wealthy  gourmets,  who  have  a  taste  for  this  particular  food.  In  the 
immense  encyclopedia  compiled  under  the  direction  of  the  Emperor 
K'ang-he  there  is  a  receipt  for  hashed  dog,  which,  by  the  number  of 
condiments,  the  quantity  of  wine,  and  profusion  of  adjuncts  which 
are  prescribed,  indicates  that  it  was  made  by  some  one  who  liked  a 
good  dish,  and  disliked  the  taste  of  dog. 

Among  the  wealthier  classes  the  use  of  rice  is  diminished  in  pro- 
portion to  the  increased  quantity  of  meat  or  fish  eaten,  and  at  a  dinner 
party  of  the  better  kind  it  scarcely  finds  a  place.  On  such  an  occasion 
the  table  is  spread  with  numbers  of  small  dishes  containing  fruits,  fresh 
and  dried,  and  candied;  chopped  eggs;  ham,  and  other  tasty  morsels. 
The  feast  begins  by  the  host  pouring  out  a  libation,  and  then  taking 
wine  generally  with  his  guests,  who  raise  the  small  wine  cups,  which 
are  not  much  bigger  than  thimbles,  to  their  lips  with  the  right  hand, 
touching  them  with  the  left,  and  drink  off  their  contents.  Next  fol- 
lows a  succession  of  courses,  each  consisting  of  a  single  dish,  between 
each  of  which  pipes  are  handed  around  and  a  few  whiffs  enjoyed.  Fre- 
quently the  dinner  is  enlivened  by  the  presence  of  singing-girls,  or  a 
play  is  performed  for  the  amusement  of  the  guests.  In  the  absence, 
however,  of  all  such  attractions  the  game  of  Che-mei,  the  Italian  Mora, 
sometimes  serves  to  make  the  interval  between  the  courses  seem  shorter. 


CU8T0M8  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE.  181 

Mr.  Giles,  in  his  "Chinese  Sketches,"  gives  the  following  menu  of  a 
dinner  which  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  sort  of  viands  offered  by  a  Chinese 
gentleman  to  his  guests: 

Shark's  fins  with  crab  sauce. 

Pigeon's  eggs  stewed  with  mushrooms. 

Sliced  sea-slugs,  in  chicken  broth,  with  ham. 

Wild  duck  and  Shan-tung  cabbage. 

Fried  fish. 
Lumps  of  pork  fat  fried  in  rice-flour. 

Stewed  lily-roots. 

Chicken  mashed  to  pulp,  with  ham. 

Stewed  bamboo-shoots. 

Stewed  shell-fish. 

Fried  slices  of  pheasant. 

Mushroom  broth. 

Remove. — Two  dishes  of  fried  pudding,  one  sweet,  the  other  salt. 

Sweetened  duck. 

Strips  of  boned  chicken  fried  in  oil. 

Boiled  fish,  with  soy. 

Lumps  of  par-boiled  mutton  fried  in  pork  fat. 

Frogs  form  a  common  dish  among  the  poor  people  and  are,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  very  good  eating.  They  are  caught  with  a  rod  and 
line,  with  a  young  live  frog  lately  emerged  from  the  tadpole  stage,  as 
bait.  The  young  frog,  which  is  tied  onto  the  line,  is  bobbed  up  and 
down  in  the  water,  and  it  is  as  a  result  of  their  snapping  at  it  that 
its  elders  are  jerked  out  onto  the  bank.  In  some  parts  of  the  country 
locusts  and  grasshoppers  are  eaten.  At  Tien-tsin  men  may  com- 
monly be  seen  standing  at  the  corners  of  the  streets  frying  locusts 
over  portable  fires,  just  as  in  the  cities  of  our  own  country  hot  corn  is 
cooked  and  sold  on  the  curbstones.  Ground-grubs,  silk-worms,  and 
water-snakes  are  also  occasionally  treated  as  food. 

The  seas,  lakes  and  rivers  abound  in  fish,  which  are  caught  in  almost 
as  many  ways  as  there  are  found  species.  Cod,  mackerel,  soles,  shark, 
herring,  shad,  mullet,  crabs,  tortoises,  turtles,  prawns,  crawfish  and 
shrimps,  etc.,  are  yielded  up  by  the  ocean,  while  the  lakes,  ponds  and 
rivers,  swarm  with  carp,  tench,  eels,  perch,  bream,  and  other  kinds. 


182  CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

As  fish  forms  a  staple  food  of  the  people,  there  is  every  inducement 
to  perfect  the  fisherman's  art,  and  the  natural  ingenuity  of  Chinamen 
has  enabled  them  to  secure  the  greatest  quantity  of  fish  with  the 
least  possible  trouble.  The  net  and  line  are  generally  used,  but  in 
places  where  it  is  difficult  to  drag  a  net,  or  where  the  fish  do  not  easily 
yield  themselves  up  as  victims  to  the  line,  they  bring  other  agencies  to 
bear.  On  some  rivers  and  lakes  cormorants  are  the  chosen  instru- 
ments for  the  landing  of  the  prey. 

The  fisherman  launches  his  raft,  which  is  about  two  and  a  half 
feet  wide  and  about  twenty  feet  long,  carrying  on  it  three  or  four  cor- 
morants and  a  basket  for  the  fish.  Each  cormorant  has  a  ring  loosely 
fastened  around  his  neck,  and  when  the  man  has  paddled  the  raft  into 
a  likely  spot  he  gently  pushes  one  of  the  birds  into  the  water.  The 
bird  instantly  dives,  and,  having  caught  his  prey,  rises  to  the  surface 
and  swims  towards  the  raft.  As  it  approaches,  the  man  throws  a  land- 
ing net  over  both  the  bird  and  the  fish,  and  lifts  them  on  the  raft. 
Great  pains  are  taken  in  training  the  cormorants,  and  it  is  seldona 
they  refuse  to  obey  their  master.  Occasionally  they  show  considerable 
intelligence,  and  two  or  three  have  been  known  to  help  secure  a  fish 
too  large  for  a  single  bird. 

On  some  rivers  fishermen  use  at  night  a  long,  low  boat,  having  a 
white  varnished  board  inclining  from  the  side  to  the  water.  As  the 
boat  is  propelled  along  in  the  moonlight,  a  stone  which  is  towed  along- 
side, of  course  below  the  surface,  makes  a  rushing  noise,  which  so 
alarms  the  fish  that,  attracted  by  the  varnished  board  they  spring  at 
it,  and  generally  over  into  the  boat.  The  fear  felt  by  fish  at  noise, 
and  the  attraction  exercised  over  them  by  light  is  well  known,  and 
trading  on  these  peculiarities.  Chinamen  drive  them  by  beating  the 
water  into  nets  set  for  their  reception. 

All  fishing-boats  of  any  size  have  tanks  of  water  on  board,  into 
which  the  fish  are  thrown  the  instant  they  are  caught,  and  are  then 
carried  fresh  to  market,  where  the  same  care  is  generally  taken  to 
keep  them  alive  until  they  find  purchasers. 

Oysters  and  cockles  are  also  regularly  fished  for,  and  form  a  com- 
mon article  of  food,  and  so  with  mussels,  which,  however,  are  sometimes 
turned  into  another  source  of  gain.  When  fresh  caught,  minute  images 
of  Buddha  are  put  into  the  shell,  and  the  mussels  are  thrown  into 
ponds,  where  they  are  allowed  to  remain  for  some  time.     On  being 


CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE.  183 

fished  up  again  and  opened,  the  little  images  are  found  covered  with 
a  coating  of  mother-of-pearl,  and,  in  this  state,  find  a  ready  sale  among 
the  superstitious.    In  the  same  way  artificial  pearls  are  produced. 

Ducks  are  bred  in  large  quantities,  not  only  in  the  usual  way,  but 
eggs  are  artificially  hatched  in  immense  numbers.  As  soon  as  the 
ducklings  make  their  appearance,  they  are  sold  to  men  who  make  it 
their  business  to  rear  them  and  prepare  them  for  the  market.  "Many 
thousands  are  often  to  be  seen  in  an  establishment  of  this  sort.  Some- 
times the  purchaser  is  owner  of  a  duck-boat,  on  which  he  keeps  his 
numerous  broods.  Once  or  twice  a  day  he  lands  them  on  the  bank  of 
the  river  to  feed,  and  they  soon  learn  to  walk  without  hesitation  along 
a  plank,  to  and  fro  from  the  boat  to  the  shore.  Immense  quantities  are 
thus  reared  on  the  rivers  in  China,  as  a  proof  of  which  Archdeacon 
Gray  mentions  that  after  a  severe  typhoon  at  Canton,  during  w'hich  a 
number  of  duck-boats  were  upset,  the  ducks  released  from  captivity 
were  so  numerous,  "that  for  upwards  of  a  mile  the  surface  of  the  Canton 
river  was  crowded  with  them." 

No  use  whatever  is  made  of  cow's  milk  by  the  Chinese,  though  occa- 
sionally, human  milk  is  given  to  old  people  as  a  restorative.  The 
Mongolians,  however,  use  it  freely,  and  make  a  kind  of  rancid  butter 
from  it  of  which  they  are  very  fond,  a  conclusive  proof  of  the  wide  gulf 
tliat  separates  their  tastes  from  ours. 

In  matters  of  dress,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  Chinese  must 
be  acknowledged  to  have  used  a  wise  discretion.  They  wear  nothing 
that  is  tight  fitting,  and  make  a  greater  difference  between  their  sum- 
mer and  winter  clothing  than  is  customary  among  ourselves.  The 
usual  dress  in  summer  of  a  coolie  is  a  loose  fitting  pair  of  cotton 
trousers,  and  an  equally  loose  jacket;  but  the  same  man  in  winter  will 
be  seen  wearing  quilted  cotton  clothes,  or,  if  he  should  be  an  inhabitant 
of  the  northern  provinces,  a  sheepskin  robe,  superadded  to  an  abun- 
dance of  warm  clothing  intermediate  between  it  and  his  shirt. 

By  the  wealthier  classes  silk,  linen,  and  silk  gauze  are  much  worn 
in  the  summer,  and  w^oolen  or  more  or  less  handsome  fur  clothes  in  the 
winter.  Among  such  people  it  is  customary,  except  in  the  seclusion 
of  their  homes,  to  wear,  both  in  summer  and  winter,  long  tunics  coming 
down  to  the  ankles.  Often  these  are  fastened  around  the  waist  by  a 
belt,  to  which  are  attached  ornamented  appendages,  such  as  a  purse, 
snuff-bottle,  tobacco-pouch,  etc.    The  sleeves  of  the  tunics  are  made 


184  CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

long  enough  to  cover  the  hands,  and  partly  serve  the  purposes  of 
pockets.  The  expression  "sleeve-full  of  snuff"  is  not  at  all  uncommon 
in  Chinese  poetry,  and  small  editions  of  books,  especially  the  classics, 
are  called  "sleeve-editions,"  in  reference  probably  to  the  practice, 
common  to  candidates  at  the  examinations,  of  concealing  "cribs"  in 
their  sleeves. 

In  summer  non-official  Chinamen  leave  their  heads  uncovered,  and, 
though  thus  unprotected  from  the  effects  of  the  sun,  do  not  seem  to 
suffer  any  inconvenience  from  the  great  heat.  Occasionally  coolies 
doing  heavy  work  fasten  a  fan  so  as  to  ward  off  the  sun's  rays  by 
means  of  their  queues,  which  are  then  wound  around  their  heads,  in- 
stead of  being  allowed  to  hang  down  their  back  in  the  ordinary  way. 

The  dress  of  the  mandarins  is  strictly  defined  by  sumptuary  laws, 
and  their  ranks  are  distinguished  by  badges  worn  on  the  breast  and 
back  of  their  robes,  and  by  the  knobs  or  buttons  fixed  on  the  top  of  the 
cap.  The  civilian  badges  are  all  representations  of  birds,  while  those 
worn  by  military  men,  as  indicating  the  fierceness  of  their  nature,  are 
likenesses  of  beasts. 

Thus  the  first  of  the  ten  civilian  ranks  wears  a  Manchurian  crane; 
the  second,  a  golden  pheasant;  the  third,  a  peacock;  the  fourth,  a  wild 
goose;  the  fifth,  a  silver  pheasant;  the  sixth,  a  lesser  eyret;  the  sev- 
enth, a  mandarin  duck;  the  eighth,  a  quail;  the  ninth,  a  long-tailed 
jay;  and  the  tenth,  an  oriole.  The  military  officers  have  only  nine 
insignia,  which  are  as  follows:  First,  the  unicorn;  second,  the  lion; 
third,  the  leopard;  fourth,  the  tiger;  fifth,  the  black  bear;  sixth,  the 
mottled  bear,  or  tiger  cat;  seventh,  the  tiger  cat;  eighth,  the  seal;  and 
ninth,  the  rhinoceros. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  present  dynasty,  distinguishing 
buttons  have  been  added  to  the  caps  in  the  case  of  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary mandarins,  and  these  are  distributed  among  the  nine  ranks  in  the 
following  order:  The  first  two,  red  coral;  the  third,  clear  blue;  the 
fourth,  lapis  lazuli;  the  fifth,  quartz  crystal;  the  sixth,  opaque  white 
stone;  and  the  last  three,  gilt.  In  cases  where  the  same  colored  stone 
is  worn  by  two  ranks,  that  on  the  cap  of  the  inferior  one  is  carved,  the 
Chinaman  having  the  taste  to  consider  the  plain  stone  the  most  dis- 
tinguished. In  the  same  way  the  emperor  wears  a  pearl  on  his  cap,  and 
this,  together  with  the  remainder  of  his  attire,  is  quite  plain  and  un- 
adorned. 


CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE.  185 

On  the  ai^proach  of  summer  au  edict  is  issued  fixing  the  day  upon 
which  the  summer  costume  is  to  be  adopted  througliout  the  empire,  and 
again,  as  winter  draws  near,  the  time  for  putting  on  the  winter  dress 
is  announced  in  the  same  formal  manner.  Fine  straw  or  bamboo  forms 
the  material  for  the  summer  hat,  the  outside  of  which  is  covered  with 
silk,  over  which  falls  a  tassel  of  red  silk  cords  from  the  top.  At  this 
season  also  the  thick  silk  robes  and  heavy  padded  jackets  worn  in  win- 
ter are  exchanged  for  light  silk  or  satin  tunics.  The  winter  cap  has 
a  turned  up  brim,  and  is  covered  with  satin,  with  a  black  cloth  lining, 
and  as  in  case  of  the  summer  cap  a  tassel  of  red  silk  covers  the  entire 
crown. 

The  wives  of  mandarins  wear  the  same  embroidered  insignia  on  their 
dresses  as  their  husbands,  and  their  style  of  dress,  as  w^ell  as  that  of 
Chinese  women  generally,  bears  a  resemblance  to  the  attire  of  the 
men.  They  wear  a  loose  fitting  tunic  which  reaches  below  the  knee,  and 
trousers  which  are  drawn  in  at  the  ankle,  after  the  old-style  bloomer 
fashion.  On  state  occasion  they  wear  a  richly  embroidered  petticoat 
coming  down  to  the  feet,  which  hangs  square  both  before  and  behind, 
and  is  plaited  at  the  sides  like  a  Highlander's  kilt. 

The  mode  of  doing  the  hair  differs  in  almost  every  province.  At 
Canton  the  women  of  the  people  plaster  their  back  hair  with  a  kind  of 
bandoline,  into  the  shape  of  a  teapot  handle,  and  adorn  the  sides  with 
pins  and  ornaments,  while  the  young  girls  proclaim  their  unmarried 
state  by  cutting  their  hair  in  a  fringe  across  their  foreheads  after  a 
fashion  not  unknown  among  ourselves.  In  most  parts  of  the  country, 
flowers,  natural  when  obtainable,  and  artificial  when  not  so,  are  largely 
used  to  deck  out  the  head-dresses,  and  considerable  taste  is  shown  in 
the  choice  of  colors  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  arranged. 

Thus  far  there  is  nothing  to  find  fault  with  in  female  fashion  in 
China,  but  the  same  cannot  be  said  of  the  way  in  which  they  treat  their 
faces  and  their  feet.  In  many  countries  the  secret  art  of  removing 
traces  of  the  ravages  of  time  with  the  paint  brush  has  been  and  is 
practiced;  but  by  an  extravagant,  and  to  Western  eyes  hideous  use  of 
pigments  and  cosmetics,  Chinese  girls  not  only  conceal  the  fresh  com- 
plexion of  youth,  but  produce  those  very  disfigurements  which  furnish 
the  only  possible  excuse  for  artificial  coloring. 

The  Chinese  poets  have  declared  that  a  woman's  eyebrows  should 
be  arched  like  a  rainbow  or  shaped  like  a  willow  leaf,  and  the  con- 


186  CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

sequence  is  that,  wishing  to  act  up  to  the  ideal  thus  pictured,  China- 
women Avith  the  help  of  tweezers,  remove  all  the  hairs  of  their  eyebrows 
which  straggle  the  least  out  of  the  required  line,  and  when  the  task 
becomes  impossible  even  with  the  help  of  these  instruments,  the  paint 
brush  or  a  stick  of  charcoal  is  brought  into  requisition.  Altogether 
the  face  of  a  bedizened  Chinese  lady  is  a  miserable  sight.  The  ghastly 
white  of  the  plastered  complexion,  the  ruddied  cheeks,  the  artificial 
eyebrows,  and  the  brilliantly  painted  lips  may,  as  the  abstract  picture 
of  a  poet's  brain,  be  admirable,  but  when  seen  in  the  concrete,  can 
in  no  sense  be  called  other  than  repulsive.  A  comparison  of  one  such 
painted  lily  with  the  natural,  healthy  complexion,  bright  eyes,  laugh- 
ing lips,  and  dimpled  cheeks  of  a  Canton  boat  girl,  for  example,  is 
enough  to  vindicate  Nature's  claim  to  superiority  over  art  a  thousand- 
fold. 

But  the  chief  offence  of  Chinese  women  is  in  the  matter  of  their  feet. 
Even  on  the  score  of  fashion  it  is  difficult  to  excuse  a  practice  which  in 
the  first  instance  causes  great  and  continued  pain,  and  affects  injur- 
iously the  physique  of  the  victims  during  the  whole  of  their  lives. 
Various  explanations  are  current  as  to  the  origin  of  the  custom  of  de- 
forming the  women's  feet.  Some  say  that  it  is  an  attempt  servilely 
to  imitate  the  peculiarly  shaped  foot  of  a  certain  beautiful  empress; 
others  that  it  is  a  device  intended  to  act  as  a  restraint  on  the  gadding- 
about  tendencies  of  women.  But,  however  that  may  be,  the  practice  is 
universal  except  among  the  Manchus  and  the  Hakka  population  at 
Canton. 

The  feet  are  first  bound  when  the  child  is  about  five  years  old.  The 
four  smaller  toes  are  bent  under  the  foot,  and  the  instep  is  forced  up- 
wards and  backwards.  At  the  same  time,  the  shoes  worn,  having  high 
heels,  the  foot  becomes  as  it  were  clubbed  and  loses  all  elasticity.  The 
consequence  is  that  the  women  walk  as  if  on  pegs,  and  the  calf  of  the 
leg  having  no  exercise  shrivels  up.  The  degree  of  severity,  however, 
with  which  the  feet  are  bound,  differs  widely  in  the  various  ranks  of 
society,  and  women  in  the  humbler  walks  of  life  are  often  able  to  move 
about  with  ease.  Most  ladies,  on  the  other  hand,  are  practically  de- 
barred from  walking  at  all,  and  are  dependent  on  their  sedan-chairs, 
and  sometimes  even  on  the  backs  of  their  attendants,  for  all  locomotion 
beyond  their  own  doors. 

But  even  in  this  case  habit  becomes  a  second  nature,  and  fashion 


CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE.  187 

triumphs  over  sense.  No  mother,  however  keen  may  be  her  recollec- 
tions of  suffering  when  a  child,  or  however  conscious  she  may  be  of  the 
inconveniences  and  ills  arising  from  her  deformed  feet,  would  ever 
dream  of  saving  her  own  child  from  like  immediate  torture  and  perma- 
nent evil.  Further,  there  is  probably  less  excuse  for  such  a  practice 
in  China  than  in  any  other  country,  for  the  hands  and  feet  of  both  the 
men  and  women  are  naturally  both  small  and  finely  shaped.  But  there 
is  no  idol  which  it  is  more  difficult  to  overthrow  than  established  cus- 
tom, and  there  must  needs  be  a  complete  revolution  in  the  national 
tastes  and  ideas  before  the  much  persecuted  Chinese  women  will  be 
allowed  free  use  of  the  very  pretty  feet  with  which  nature  has  endowed 
them. 

The  male  analogue  of  the  women's  compressed  feet  is  the  shaven 
forepart  of  the  head  and  the  plaited  queue.  The  custom  of  thus  treating 
the  hair  w^as  imposed  on  the  people  by  the  first  emperor  of  the  present 
dynasty  (1644).  Up  to  that  time  the  Chinese  had  allowed  the  hair  to 
grow  long,  and  were  in  the  habit  of  drawing  it  up  into  a  tuft  on  the 
top  of  the  head.  The  introduction  of  the  queue  at  the  bidding  of  the 
Manchurian  conqueror  was  intended  as  a  badge  of  conquest,  and  as 
such  v/as  at  first  unwillingly  adopted  by  the  people.  For  nearly  a 
century  the  natives  of  outlying  parts  of  the  empire  refused  to  submit 
their  heads  to  the  razor,  and  in  many  districts  the  authorities  rewarded 
converts  to  the  new  way  by  presents  of  money.  As  the  custom  spread 
these  bribes  were  discontinued,  and  the  converse  action  of  treating 
those  who  refused  to  conform  with  severity,  completed  the  conversion 
of  the  empire. 

At  the  present  day  every  Chinaman  who  is  not  in  open  rebellion  to 
the  throne  shaves  his  head,  with  the  exception  of  the  crown,  where 
the  hair  is  allowed  to  grow  to  its  full  length.  The  hair  is  carefully 
plaited,  and  forms  down  the  back  forming  what  is  commonly  known 
as  the  "pig-tail."  Great  pride  is  taken,  especially  in  the  south,  in  hav- 
ing as  long  and  thick  a  queue  as  possible,  and  when  nature  has  been 
niggardly  in  her  supply  of  natural  growth,  the  deficiency  is  supple- 
mented by  the  insertion  of  silk  into  the  plait.  The  northerners  are  less 
given  to  this  form  of  vanity  than  their  southern  brethren,  and  are  as  a 
rule  content  only  to  tie  the  ends  of  the  queue  plaits  with  a  piece  of 
silk.  But  among  all  classes  great  value  is  attached  to  the  possession 
of  the  queue,  and  in  the  commonest  forms  of  abuse  there  is  generally 


188  CUSTOMS  AND  COSTUMES  OF  THE  CHINESE. 

claimed  for  the  object  of  opprobrium,  an  additional  title  to  infamy  that 
he  is  woo  peen,  "tail-less." 

As  a  general  rule  the  head  is  shaved  about  once  in  ten  days,  though 
men  who  are  particular  as  to  their  appearance  do  not  allow  their  hair 
to  grow  half  that  time.  As  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  shave  his  own 
head,  the  barber's  trade  is  a  large  and  flourishing  one,  and  is  carried 
on  in  shops,  and  in  the  streets  by  itinerant  barbers,  who  carry  sus- 
pended at  the  two  ends  of  a  bamboo  slung  on  the  shoulders,  all  the 
implements  of  their  trade,  together  with  a  stool  for  the  customer  to  sit 
upon  during  the  operation. 

Among  the  rich  it  is  customary  to  summon  a  barber  to  their  houses, 
and  to  most  large  yamens  there  is  a  member  of  the  fraternity  attached, 
who  gains  his  livelihood  by  keeeping  the  heads  of  the  occupants  in 
order.  The  Chinese  razor  consists  of  a  short  blade,  somewhat  in  the 
shape  of  a  rounded  isosceles  triangle,  the  long  side  being  the  edge.  Hot 
water  is  used  instead  of  soap  to  facilitate  the  operation  of  shaving, 
which  is  extended  to  the  down  on  the  cheeks.  A  Chinaman's  face  is 
singularly  devoid  of  hair.  Whiskers  are  very  seldom  seen,  and  the 
moustache  is  only  allowed  to  grow  after  a  man  has  arrived  at  the  age  of 
forty  or  upwards. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  a  near  relative,  it  is  customary  to 
allow  the  hair  to  grow  for  a  time  as  a  sign  of  mental  distraction  from 
excessive  grief,  and  on  the  death  of  an  emperor  an  edict  is  usually 
issued  forbidding  barbers  to  ply  their  trade  for  a  space  of  a  hundred 
days. 


CHAPTER   XI. 
HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 

Chinese  Method  of  Dividing  the  Year — The  Beginning  of  the  Kew  Year — A  Season  of 
National  Rejoicing — Official  Etiquette  in  Connection  with  Celebrations  of  the  Event — 
Superstitions  Regarding  the  First  Day  of  the  Year — New  Year's  Calls  Customary— The 
Feast  of  Lanterns — The  Commencement  of  Spring — Sacrifices  to  the  tJod  of  the  Fields — 
Ceremonies  at  the  Tombs  of  Ancestors — Commemoration  of  Buddha's  Birthday — Legend 
of  the  "Spinning  Damsel" — Rites  Incidental  to  the  Dying  Year. 

rROM  time  immemorial,  that  is  to  say,  from  a  date  anterior  to 
the  arrival  of  the  "black-haired"  race  in  China,  the  Chinese 
divided  their  year  into  twelve  lunar  months,  with  an  occasional 
intercalary  month  to  make  up  the  required  number  of  days 
for  the  full  year.  The  months  were  in  those  early  days  called  by  names 
the  origim  of  which  has,  according  to  the  author  of  the  earliest  Chinese 
dictionary,  the  Urh  ya,  been  lost,  and,  in  default  of  any  intelligible 
explanatioH,  the  lexicographer  gives  the  list  without  attempting  to 
elucidate  them. 

The  first  is  T'sow,  "the  north  corner;"  the  second,  Joo,  "As,  Like;" 
the  third.  Ping,  "To  start  in  sleep;"  the  fourth,  Yu,  "I;"  the  fifth,  Hao, 
"Bright;"  the  sixth,  Ts'ieh,  "Sacrificial  Table;"  the  seventh,  Seang,  "To 
examine,  to  assert,  to  watch;"  the  eighth,  Chwang,  "Stout,  Strong, 
Abundant;"  the  ninth,  Huen,  "Dark;"  the  tenth,  Yang,  "Bright,"  "The 
sun,"  "The  day;"  the  eleventh,  Koo,  "A  crime,"  "A  failure;"  the  twelfth, 
Tsoo,  "Heavy  dew  or  rain." 

The  fact  of  the  introduction  of  an  intercalary  month  in  about  once 
every  thirty  months  causes  a  considerable  variation  in  the  day  on 
which  the  first  day  of  the  year  falls.  It  varies  between  the  middle  of 
January  and  the  last  of  February,  but  whenever  it  occurs  it  is  the  signal 
for  national  rejoicing  and  individual  merry-making.  All  public  offices 
are  closed  for  the  space  of  twenty  days,  and,  in  a  like  manner,  the  doors 
of  warehouses  and  shops  are  shut  in  the  faces  of  customers.  A  day 
or  two  before  the  end  of  the  old  year  a  thanksgiving  service  is  per- 
formed in  each  household,  before  the  shrine  of  the  tutelary  deity  of  the 
dwelling,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  safety  and  comfort  enjoyed  during 
the  past  year;  and,  among  traders  of  all  kinds,  extreme  anxiety  is  mani- 

189 


190  HOLIDAYS,  8P0BTS  AND  GAMES. 

fested  to  get  in  outstanding  debts,  and  to  provide  money  for  the  pay- 
ment of  sums  due.  To  be  a  defaulter  on  New  Year's  Day  is  to  lose 
credit  and  reputation,  and,  rather  than  begin  a  new  year  under  such  ill- 
omened  conditions,  shop-keepers  often  offer  their  goods  at  prices  which 
not  only  leave  them  without  profit,  but  which  are  not  infrequently  less 
than  actual  cost. 

The  last  night  of  the  year  is  devoted  to  preparations  for  the  cere- 
monies of  the  morrow.  Before  daybreak  the  members  of  each  household 
offer  sacrifice  with  many  prayers  to  Heaven  and  Earth,  and  to  their 
tutelary  gods.  -After  each  service  crackers  are  discharged  in  the  street 
or  road  with  so  universal  a  consent  that  the  morning  breaks  perfumed 
with  sulphur  and  saltpetre.  Next  to  the  tutelary  gods  the  deceased  an- 
cestors of  the  household,  and  after  them  the  living  elders  of  the  family 
receive  homage  from  their  kinsfolk. 

Early  in  the  day  the  provincial  mandarins  pay  their  respects,  when 
practicable,  to  the  governors  and  viceroys  of  their  respective  provinces; 
and,  at  the  capital,  the  male  members  of  the  imperial  household  and 
the  high  officers  of  state  prostrate  themselves  before  the  emperor,  and 
offer  him  their  congratulations  and  good  wishes.  In  theory,  this  cere- 
mony should  be  observed  by  every  official  in  the  empire;  but,  as  this 
is  impossible,  the  mandarins  of  each  city  repair  to  the  emperor's  temple, 
and  there  perform  the  ceremonies  of  devotion  before  a  throne  made  in 
exact  imitation  of  the  Dragon  Throne,  and  on  which  is  placed  an  in- 
scription, "May  the  emperor  reign  ten  thousand  years,  and  ten  times 
ten  thousand  years."  The  fact  of  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  man- 
darins throughout  the  empire  simultaneously  prostrating  themselves 
in  humble  adoration  before  thrones,  is  highly  suggestive  of  the  power 
wielded  by  the  sovereign,  and  of  the  extent  of  the  superstitious  awe 
with  which  he  is  surrounded. 

In  private  life,  after  the  morning  sacrifices  have  been  performed, 
the  men  of  the  family  go  out  to  pay  complimentary  visits  to  their 
friends.  A  more  than  obsequiousness  is  required  of  acquaintances  when 
meeting  in  the  streets,  and  an  invariable  law  makes  it  obligatory  for 
everyone  to  appear  in  his  best  attire.  On  a  day  of  such  importance 
and  ceremony  superstition  is  sure  to  be  busy.  Astrologers  have  laid 
it  down  that  it  is  a  fortunate  day  for  making  matrimonial  engagements, 
marrying,  setting  out  on  a  journey,  ordering  new  clothes,  beginning 
repairs  to  a  house,  or  laying  the  foundations  of  one,  for  entering  into 


HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES.  191 

business  contracts,  for  sowing,  planting,  grinding,  and,  in  fact,  for 
almost  every  enterprise.  To  students  of  folklore  the  Chinese  supersti- 
tion of  the  "first  foot"  of  the  person  first  seen  on  New  Year's  Day  will 
be  familiar. 

To  meet  a  fair  man  when  first  going  out  is  an  omen  of  good  luck, 
but  to  meet  a  woman  is  only  one  degree  better  than  to  meet  a  Buddhist 
priest,  who  is  regarded  as  foreboding  the  worst  possible  fortune.  In 
the  same  way,  on  New  Year's  Night,  a  person  wishing  to  peer  into  the 
future,  places  a  sieve  on  an  empty  stove,  and  on  the  sieve  a  basin  of 
w^ater  and  a  looking-glass.  Having  made  these  arrangements,  he  steals 
out  and  listens  for  the  first  words  spoken  by  passers-by,  and  gathers 
from  them  an  omen  of  good  or  evil  for  the  coming  twelve  months. 

The  leading  idea  among  the  Chinese  is  that  with  the  new  year  a  fresh 
lease  of  life  begins.  The  account  of  all  the  thoughts,  words  and  deeds 
of  the  past  year  has  to  be  closed,  and  a  new  era  breaks  upon  them  with 
the  dawn,  in  preparation  for  which  they  seek  to  bind  fortune  to  their 
chariot-wheels  by  the  performance  of  endless  superstitious  observances, 
and  by  calling  down  blessings  on  one  another.  In  some  parts  of  the 
country  boys,  on  the  last  dny  of  the  year,  shout  out  in  the  streets  Mai 
saou,  "I  will  sell  my  idle  ways,"  with  the  ostensibly  laudable  desire  of 
devoting  the  new  year  to  busy  diligence. 

On  the  accession  of  an  emperor  his  reign  counts  only  from  the  first 
day  of  the  year  following  the  decease  of  his  predecessor,  who  is  regarded 
as  sitting  on  the  throne  for  the  remaining  months  of  the  year  in  which 
he  died.  On  each  succeeding  New  Year's  Day  the  emperor  is  re-en- 
throned, amidst  a  display  of  imperial  insignia  and  the  strains  of  music. 
In  a  pavilion  in  the  palace  he  then  prostrates  himself  before  heaven 
and  earth,  and  afterwards,  as  mentioned  above,  receives  the  congratu- 
lations of  his  ministers  and  the  members  of  his  household,  and  sepa- 
rately the  obeisances  of  the  imperial  princesses  and  the  ladies  of  the 
court.  A  state  banquet  follows,  to  which  all  the  high  officers  of  the 
state,  as  well  as  the  imperial  princes,  are  invited. 

The  evening  of  New  Year's  Day  by  no  means  brings  to  a  close  the 
festivities  of  the  season,  which  are  prolonged  until  after  the  fifteenth 
day.  The  first  week  is  spent  in  paying  visits,  exchanging  presents,  and 
feasting.  Loose-skinned  oranges  are  common  presents  in  the  south  of 
China,  at  this  period,  from  the  fact  of  the  native  name  for  them  having 
exactly  the  same  sound  as  the  word  meaning  "Good-fortune,"  and  the 


192  HOLIDAYS,  8P0BTS  AND  GAMES. 

streets  of  the  cities  are  thronged  with  servants  carrying  sweetmeats 
and  cakes  from  house  to  house.  But  from  superiors  to  inferiors  pres- 
ents of  a  more  substantial  value  pass,  and  considerable  sums  of  money 
are  bestowed  by  the  wealthy  on  their  servants  and  dependents.  Beg- 
gars reap  a  rich  harvest  at  the  houses  of  the  well-to-do,  and  itinerant 
musicians  levy  a  compulsory  tax  on  their  rich  fellow-townsmen. 

Ladies  break  through  the  monotony  of  their  lives  at  this  season 
and  give  themselves  up  to  feasting  and  merry-making  among  them- 
selves. From  the  fourth  to  the  seventh  day  they  worship  at  the  shrine 
of  the  goddess  who  presides  over  marriage,  and  on  the  seventh  they  go 
in  large  numbers  to  the  public  gardens,  where  they  show  themselves 
off  in  their  best  attire  and  in  the  full  disfigurement  of  obvious  paint 
and  cosmetics.  When  paying  New  Yearns  visits,  it  is  customary  for 
ladies  to  carry  with  them  to  their  friends  sticks  of  sugar-cane  which, 
however,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  are  seldom  presented,  the  will  being  ac- 
cepted with  common  consent  for  the  deed. 

The  evening  of  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  month,  when  the  Feast 
of  Lanterns  is  celebrated,  is  another  ladies'  night.  For  days  previously, 
the  lantern  shops  are  crowded  with  purchasers,  who  indulge  in  wild 
fancies  in  the  choice  of  lanterns  they  buy.  All  are  highly  colored  and  are 
shaped  in  every  conceivable  mould.  From  the  ordinary  round  shape,  to 
the  most  grotesque  figures  of  men  and  animals,  the  changes  are  rung  in 
every  variety;  and  no  less  divergent  than  the  forms  are  the  prices  asked. 
The  poorest  is  sure  to  find  some  to  suit  his  pocket,  while  others  covered 
with  gauze  or  silk,  and  tastefully  painted,  are  within  the  reach  of  the 
wealthy  only. 

When  the  night  arrives  the  lanterns,  which  have  been  previously 
hung  up,  are  lighted,  and  give  the  signal  for  the  commencement  of  the 
festivities.  The  viands  which  have  been  placed  on  the  family  altar  as 
an  accompanying  sacrifice  to  the  worship  of  the  tutelary  deity  of  the 
household  are  transferred  to  the  dining  table,  and  with  copious  supplies 
of  samshu  form  the  family  supper.  As  the  night  advances  crowds, 
among  whom  are  numbers  of  ladies,  who,  on  no  other  occasion  venture 
out  after  dark,  throng  the  street  to  gaze  at  the  illumination  and,  in 
some  instances,  to  guess  the  riddles  which  are  inscribed  on  lanterns 
hung  at  the  doorways  of  houses.  Prizes,  such  as  parcels  of  tea,  pencils, 
fans,  etc.,  are  given  to  the  successful  solvers  of  the  rebuses,  but  these 
have  little  to  do  with  the  interest  which  is  shown  in  the  amusement, 


HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES.  '  193 

which,  partaking  of  the  nature  of  a  literary  exercise,  is  well  suited  to 
the  national  taste. 

With  the  opening  of  the  official  tribunals  on  the  20th  of  the  montli 
the  New  Year's  festivities  may  be  said  to  come  to  a  close,  and  the  work 
of  the  new  year  to  begin  in  earnest.  Very  early  on  the  morning  of  that 
day  the  lowest  mandarins,  both  civil  and  military,  open  their  seals  of 
office  in  the  presence  of  their  subordinates.  The  yamen  is  brilliantly 
lighted  on  the  occasion,  and  with  due  ceremony  the  box  containing  the 
seal  is  placed  on  a  table  in  the  tribunal  surrounded  by  burning  candles 
and  incense.  The  mandarin  then  performs  the  kotow  before  it,  the 
principal  clerk  lifts  the  box  reverently  above  his  head,  and  offers  his 
congratulations  to  his  chief.  The  seal  is  next  taken  out  of  the  box  and 
placed  on  the  table,  and  again  becomes  the  object  of  the  kowow  on  the 
part  of  the  mandarin.  Four  impressions  of  the  seal  are  made  on  a 
piece  of  red  paper  bearing  an  inscription  of  good  omen,  which  is  hung 
up  at  the  gate  of  the  yamen.  As  soon  as  these  forms  have  been  gone 
through  with  the  mandarin  goes  to  the  yamen  of  his  next  superior, 
and  there  takes  part  in  an  identical  ceremony.  With  him  he  goes  to  the 
next  in  rank,  and  so  on  until  officials  of  all  grades  take  part  as  witnesses 
in  the  opening  of  the  vice-regal  seal  in  the  yamen  of  the  provincial 
governor-general. 

In  the  southern  provinces  of  the  empire  discharges  of  cannon  and 
crackers  announce  the  opening  of  the  seals;  and,  as  no  business  is  en- 
tered upon  until  the  next  morning,  the  latter  part  of  the  day  and  the 
evening  are  devoted  to  complimentary  visits  and  merry-making. 

According  to  a  very  ancient  tradition.  New  Year's  day  is  called  the 
fowl's  day,  the  second  the  dog's  day,  the  third  the  pig's  day,  the  fourth 
the  sheep's  day,  the  fifth  the  cow's  day,  the  sixth  the  horse's  day,  and 
the  seventh  the  man's  day.  During  the  first  six  days  the  flesh  of  all 
those  animals  to  whom  the  days  are  dedicated  are  forbidden  as  food, 
and  the  consequence  is  that  feasters  at  New  Year's  time  have  mainly 
to  content  themselves  with  such  viands  as  vegetables  and  fish.  The 
seventh  day  is  one  of  great  importance,  and,  if  fine,  it  is  said  to  presage 
a  plenteous  year,  and,  if  th«  reverse,  scanty  harvests  and  misfortune. 

In  all  parts  of  the  empire  the  seventh  day  is  celebrated  with  honor. 
Figures,  intended  for  the  gods  of  happiness,  rank,  longevity,  cut  out 
and  dressed  in  many  colored  garments,  are  hung  up  at  the  doors  as 
omens  of  good  luck,  and,  in  some  districts,  pictures  representing  rats 


194:  EO  LID  AY  8,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 

marrying  women  are  hung  up,  curiously  to  relate,  with  the  same  object. 

Generally  it  is  a  day  devoted  to  feasting,  and  in  the  south,  where 
the  climate  admits  of  out-door  pleasures,  picnics  are  common  among 
the  people.  One  of  the  many  customs  peculiar  to  the  day  is  to  put  a 
new  cloth  bag  full  of  red  beans  in  a  well,  and,  after  allowing  it  to 
remain  there  three  days,  to  distribute  its  contents  among  the  house- 
hold, the  men  eating  seven  of  the  beans  each,  and  the  women  fourteen. 
This  is  supposed  to  secure  them  against  illness  during  the  year. 

The  greatest  festival  of  the  year  next  to  that  at  New  Year's  time, 
occurs  at  the  first  great  division  of  the  year,  the  commencement  of 
spring.  Agriculture  has  always  held  a  high  place  in  the  estimation 
of  the  Chinese.  It  is  said  to  have  been  taught  to  the  people  by  the 
Emperor  Shin-nung  (B.  C.  2737-2697),  who  has  been  canonized  as  its 
patron  god,  and  this  imperial  ancestry  has  entailed  on  each  succeeding 
emperor  the  duty  of  leading  the  way  for  his  subjects  in  the  agricultural 
year. 

In  obedience  to  this  custom,  when  spring  arrives,  (approximately 
on  February  5,  in  our  calendar),  the  emperor,  attended  by  his  court, 
goes  out  of  the  east  gate  of  the  capital  to  a  temple  set  apart  for  the 
purpose,  "to  receive  the  spring."  In  a  like  manner,  as  representatives  of 
their  imperial  master,  the  officials  in  every  provincial  capital  head  pro- 
cessions which,  composed  of  the  leading  gentry  of  the  district  and 
accompanied  by  bands  of  music  and  gay  banners,  march  through  the 
principal  streets,  and  pass  out  by  the  east  gate  to  the  appointed  temples. 

Here  the  clay  and  paper  images  of  oxen,  and  in  some  cases  men  and 
ploughs,  which  have  been  brought  in  the  procession,  are  placed  on 
the  altar,  and  sacrifices  are  offered  up  to  the  god  of  spring.  This  done, 
the  images  of  the  oxen  are  beaten  with  sticks  by  the  officials,  and  are 
then  destroyed,  those  made  of  paper  by  fire,  and  those  of  clay  by  being 
broken  to  pieces.  The  custom  varies  slightly  in  different  places.  In 
some,  a  young  lad  is  chosen  who  must  be  without  spot  or  blemish,  and 
who,  having  been  dressed  in  green  clothes,  is  sent  out  into  the  country 
through  the  east  gate. 

After  a,  certain  interval  the  official  procession  starts  in  the  same 
direction,  and  meets  the  lad,  whom  they  worship  as  the  god  of  spring, 
and  with  whom  they  return  to  the  city  in  triumph.  A  fine  day  is 
earnestly  desired  for  this  ceremony,  and  the  saying  runs  that,  "if  rain 
falls  on  the  oxen  in  the  procession,  it  will  be  wet  for  a  hundred  days," 


OfO 
CO    ^ 


m 

ca  ft 


£1 
«  be 


ca 

>. 

X 

o 

o 

(>^ 

D 

<i) 

> 

> 

a 

o 

a 

<p 

•a 

<u 

01 

w 

J2 

>> 

n 

ca 

'S 

ti 

^ 

cc 

c 

o 

^ 

O 

Is 

Bo 

ft)  .CI 

^  u 
a  o 


O  I- 
°  n 


H     1^  M 

o 

n 

<^ 

M 

1-5    s  " 

^    >^ 
O  5i 

«  » 


.5- 
0,2 


HOLIDAYS,  8P0BT8  AND  GAME 8.  197 

Connected  with  the  commencement  of  spring  is  the  turning  of  the 
first  sod  by  the  emperor.  On  the  appointed  day,  attended  by  his  court 
and  all  the  high  officials  of  the  capital,  the  emperor  again  goes  out  of 
the  east  gate  to  the  temple  of  Earth,  in  the  grounds  of  which,  with  his 
own  hand,  he  ploughs  up  nine  furrows,  while  officials  follo'^^  at  his 
heels  casting  seed  into  the  newly  turned  earth.  As  soon  as  his  allottee! 
task  is  finished,  the  imperial  princes,  holding  yellow  ploughs,  go  through 
the  same  formality,  and  following  on  these  the  accompanying  high 
officials  perform  the  like  duty,  but  with  red  in  place  of  the  imperial 
yellow  ploughs. 

Similar  ceremonies  are  performed  in  the  provinces,  and  Archdeacon 
Gray  gives  the  following  account  of  the  ceremonies  witnessed  by  him  on 
one  such  occasion  at  Canton:  "The  governor-general,  the  governor, 
the  treasurer,  the  commissioner  of  customs,  the  literary  chancellor,  and 
the  criminal  judge  of  that  city  repair  at  an  early  hour,  on  the  fifth  day 
of  the  ploughing  season  *  *  *  to  the  temple  in  honor  of  Shin-nung, 
the  god  of  agriculture.  This  temple  is  situated  at  an  English  mile 
beyond  the  eastern  gates  of  the  city.  Its  principal  shrine  is  two  stories 
high.  In  the  court-yard,  enclosed  by  walls  of  brick,  there  are  three 
chambers,  in  the  first  of  which  certain  implements  of  husbandry  are 
kept;  in  the  second,  grain  for  seed  and  offerings;  in  the  third,  stalled 
sheep  or  swine,  intended  victims  in  honor  of  the  god. 

"The  officials,  having  arranged  themselves  before  the  altar,  proceed 
to  perform  the  kotow.  The  governor-general  then  offers  to  the  god,  as 
expiatory  sacrifices,  a  sheep  and  a  pig.  Nine  kinds  of  grain  and  vege- 
tables are  also  presented  as  thank-offerings.  The  kotow  is  then  per- 
formed once  more,  the  officials  knocking  their  heads  upon  the  earth  nine 
times.  Upon  rising  to  their  feet  a  letter  addressed  by  them  to  the  idol 
of  the  god  of  agriculture  is  read  aloud  in  the  hearing  of  all  assembled, 
the  reader  looking  towards  the  idol. 

"The  letter,  which  is  written  according  to  a  form  prescribed  by  the 
Board  of  Ceremonies,  runs  thus:  'Upon  this  auspicious  day,  we,  the 
principal  officials  of  this  city  and  province  stand,  O  god,  before  thy 
altar,  and  render  to  thee,  as  is  just,  heartfelt  homage.  We  depend  upon 
thee,  O  god,  to  grant  speed  to  the  plough,  and  to  give  food  sufficient 
for  the  wants  of  the  people  over  whom  we  rule.  As  high  as  the  heaven 
is  above  the  earth,  so  great  are  thy  virtues.  The  ploughing  season  has 
this  day  begun,  and  all  agriculturists  are  now  prepared  to  prosecute 


198  HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 

their  labors  with  diligence.  Nor  is  his  imperial  majesty,  the  emperor, 
though  so  high  his  rank,  at  all  behind  in  his  preparations  for  the  dis- 
charge of  such  important  duties.  We  therefore,  the  officials  of  this  city, 
pray  to  thee  as  in  duty  bound,  to  grant  us  favorable  seasons.  Grant 
us  then,  we  fervently  beseech  thee,  five  days  of  wind,  and  afterwards 
ten  days  of  rain,  so  that  each  stem  may  bear  two  ears  of  grain.  Accept 
our  offerings,  and  bless  us,  we  pray  thee.' 

"When  they  have  again  performed  the  kotow,  knocking  their  heads 
nine  times  upon  the  ground,  the  officials  put  off  their  tunics,  and  pro- 
ceed to  certain  government  lands,  which  are  adjacent  to  the  temple, 
for  the  purpose  of  ploughing  nine  furrows  each.  Here  each  official, 
having  been  presented  with  a  whip,  is  escorted  to  a  plough  to  which 
a  buffalo  is  yoked;  and  when  the  word  is  given  by  a  conductor  of  cere- 
monies, the  ploughs  are  set  in  motion.  At  the  head  of  each  buffalo,  to 
direct  its  course,  a  peasant  is  stationed,  w^ho  is  permitted  on  this  occa- 
sion to  wear  a  yellow  jacket. 

"Behind  each  of  the  illustrious  ploughmen  walk  three  or  four  officers 
of  the  civil  service,  whose  duty  it  is  to  sow,  at  each  step,  seeds  of 
grain  in  the  newly  made  furrows.  While  the  governor-general  and  his 
colleagues  are  engaged  in  ploughing,  j^ouths  in  gay  dresses,  stationed 
at  each  side  of  the  field,  sing,  at  the  very  top  of  their  voices,  paens  in 
praise  of  the  god  of  agriculture.  In  a  long  line  at  the  south  end  of  the 
field  stand  aged  husbandmen,  wearing  gay  garments  suited  to  the  oc- 
casion; while  at  the  north  end  are  a  body  of  graduates." 

At  the  period  of  "clear  brightness,"  which  falls  generally  at  the 
beginning  of  April,  the  rite  of  worshipping  at  ancestral  tombs  is  per- 
formed. This  is  regarded  as  a  most  sacred  duty,  and  he  who  would 
wilfully  fail  in  performing  it  would  be  looked  upon  as  an  outcast.  On 
the  morning  of  the  day  in  question  the  male  members  of  each  house- 
hold repair  to  the  family  graveyard,  and,  having  weeded  and  swept 
the  tombs,  light  incense,  and  arrange  in  front  of  the  graves  sacrificial 
offerings  consisting  of  boiled  pork,  fish,  poultry,  cakes  and  tea,  Tlie 
family  representative  then  performs  the  kotow  in  honor  of  the  deceased, 
and  each,  in  turn  follows  his  example.  Crackers  are  then  fired  and 
paper  money  is  burnt,  on  the  ashes  of  which  is  poured  out  a  libation  of 
wine,  A  second  time  the  kotow  is  performed,  and  this  brings  to  a  close 
the  ancestral  worship,  which  is  a  mixture  of  homage  and  prayer,  and 


HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES.  199 

which  by  their  due  observance  are  supposed  to  secure  the  protection 
and  support  of  the  dead. 

Having  reached  this  stage  it  is  considered  necessary,  for  the  com- 
fort of  the  spirits,  to  propitiate  the  local  deity  by  the  presentation  of 
offerings  consisting  of  meat,  wine  and  paper  money.  With  a  strange 
mixture  of  superstition  and  materialism,  they  further  follow  in  imagina- 
tion the  ancestral  spirits  into  Hades,  and  picture  them  seated  at  a 
table  enjoying  the  viands  presented  to  them  as  sacrificial  offerings,  but 
subject  to  annoyance  from  the  numbers  of  beggars  who  haunt  the  un- 
seen regions.  To  relieve  the  spirits  from  the  importunities  of  these 
unfortunates,  they  offer  to  them  sacrifices  of  cakes,  paper  clothing  and 
paper  money.  The  immediate  and  prospective  well-being  of  the  ances- 
tral spirits  having  thus  been  provided  for,  the  living  worshippers  seat 
themselves  on  the  ground  and  make  a  hearty  meal  of  the  sacrificial 
meats,  from  which  the  spirits  are  supposed  to  have  extracted  only  the 
essential  and  immaterial  elements. 

If  it  were  not  that  Buddha's  birthday  is  commemorated  during  the 
fourth  month,  no  distinctive  festivals  would  mark  that  period.  As  it 
is,  the  rites  are  confined  to  the  Buddhists,  and  are  more  especially  to 
the  confraternities  of  priests  and  monks.  On  the  eighth,  the  day  on 
wliich  it  is  said  that  Buddha  was  taken  from  the  side  of  his  mother, 
the  ceremony  of  "bathing  Buddha"  is  performed.  A  small  image  of  the 
god  is  placed  in  a  vessel,  partly  filled  with  water,  in  each  temple  de- 
voted to  his  worship,  and  on  the  head  of  this  image  devotees  are  ex- 
pected to  pour  a  handful  of  copper  cash,  and  several  ladles  of  the 
surrounding  water.  These  acts  are  accompanied  by  adoration  and 
prayer,  and  at  least  have  the  effect  of  adding  to  the  revenues  of  the 
temples. 

On  the  same  day  novitiates  are  admitted  to  the  priesthood,  and,  as 
a  sign  of  their  new  office,  submit  to  have  their  heads  burned  in  the 
X)rescribed  manner.  Dried  leaves  of  the  artemisia.  are  rolled  up  into 
small  balls,  and  placed  on  the  head  on  the  places  to  be  burnt.  The 
balls  are  then  ignited,  and  the  fire  burns  away  the  skin.  This  ceremony 
having  been  performed,  the  presiding  priest  gives  the  new  brother  his 
credentials  as  a  member  of  the  priesthood,  and  from  that  time  forth  he 
enjoys  immunity  from  punishment  for  past  offences  against  the  law, 
should  he  have  committed  any,  and  all  the  privileges  and  perquisites 
of  his  order. 


200  HOLIDAYS,  SPOBTS  AND  GAMES. 

The  fifth  month  opens  with  the  festival  called  by  the  Chinese,  King, 
or  "Cautious  searching,"  and  which  is  known  among  foreigners  as  the 
dragon-boat  festival.  On  the  fifth  of  that  month,  in  the  year  298  B.  C, 
a  faithful  minister  of  the  state  of  Tsoo,  named  Kiu  Yuen,  drowned 
himself  in  the  Me-lo  river  to  avoid  witnessing  the  disasters  which  he 
saw  were  coming  upon  his  country,  and  which  the  fatuity  of  his  sover- 
eign, Hwai  wang,  rendered  him  powerless  to  prevent.  By  the  people 
his  death  was  regarded  as  a  national  calamity,  more  especially  as  the 
misfortunes  which  he  had  predicted  befell  the  state  in  rapid  succession. 
With  pious  zeal  the  inhabitants  near  the  spot  where  he  plunged  into 
the  Me-lo  offered  sacrifices,  while  boatmen  traversed  the  river  in  search 
of  his  body. 

With  that  respect  for  virtue  and  reverence  for  tradition  which  char- 
acterizes the  Chinese,  the  anniversary  of  his  death  has  since  been 
strictly  observed  throughout  the  empire.  On  the  day  in  question,  on 
most  rivers,  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  large  towns,  boatmen 
traverse  the  rivers  backwards  and  forwards,  as  though  in  the  act  of 
searching,  in  long  boats  which,  from  their  shape,  are  called  dragon- 
boats.  Each  boat  holds  about  twenty  rowers,  who  regulate  the  speed 
of  their  stroke  by  the  beat  of  a  drum  placed  in  the  center.  At  the 
bow  stands  a  man  waving  a  flag,  who  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  lookout 
for  the  body  of  Kiu  Yuen,  and  throughout  its  length  the  boat  is  decor- 
ated with  flags.  No  doubt,  at  first,  the  progress  of  the  boats  was  merely 
a  procession;  but  before  long  the  presence  of  numbers,  and  the  desire 
to  excel  which  is  instinctive  everywhere,  caused  it  gradually  to  develop 
into  a  series  of  races. 

At  the  present  time  a  keen  rivalry  exists  between  the  owners  of  the 
several  boats  in  a  district,  more  especially  when  they  are  the  property 
of  different  clans,  and  intense  interest  is  excited  in  the  results  of  the 
races.  At  first  starting,  the  drum  is  beaten  to  a  slow  and  regular  beat, 
but  as  the  men  warm  to  their  work  the  beat  becomes  faster,  and  with 
an  accompaniment  of  clashing  gongs,  deafening  shouts  and  waving 
flags,  the  men,  with  their  short  paddles,  send  the  boats  along  at  a  rapid 
rate.  Not  unfrequently  disputes  arise  out  of  the  contests,  and  end  in 
fights,  in  preparation  for  which  sticks  and  stones,  as  w^ell  as  gongs 
and  flags,  are  shipped  before  starting. 

In  cities  remote  from  large  rivers,  all  obvious  reference  to  the  origin 
of  the  observance  has,  speaking  generally,  disappeared,  and  the  racing 


HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES.  .201 

alone  remains.  At  Peking,  for  example,  the  day  is  celebrated  by  horse 
and  cart  races,  which  are  held  in  an  open  space  in  the  outer  city.  But 
throughout  the  empire  the  day  is  kept  as  a  holiday,  and  after  mid-day 
all  shops  and  places  of  business  are,  as  a  rule,  closed. 

The  sixth  month,  like  the  fourth,  is  without  any  marked  observance 
of  interest;  but  with  the  beginning  of  autumn,  in  the  seventh  month, 
superstition  again  proclaims  itself  in  the  customs  of  the  people.  On 
the  seventh  day  is  commemorated  a  curious  legend.  A  certain  star, 
called  by  the  Chinese  "the  spinning  damsel,"  was,  many  centuries  ago, 
sent  on  a  mission  to  earth.  There  she  fell  in  love  v/ith  a  cowherd,  whom 
she  ultimately  married.  Before  long,  however,  she  was  recalled  to  her 
place  in  the  heavens,  and  on  her  way  thither  her  grief  at  leaving  her 
husband  found  vent  in  bitter  tears,  which  fell  upon  the  earth  as  rain. 
Unable  to  bear  his  separation  from  his  wife,  the  cowherd  died  of  grief, 
and  as  a  reward  for  his  exemplary  life  was  transformed  into  a  star, 
but  was  separated  from  his  wife  by  the  milky  way.  Once  a  year  since 
that  time,  namely  on  the  seventh  day  of  the  seventh  month,  magpies 
form  themselves  into  a  bridge  across  the  milky  way,  over  which  the 
"spinning  damsel"  crosses  to  the  cowherd. 

On  the  evening  of  this  day  Chinese  women  offer  sacrifices,  consist- 
ing of  melons  and  fruits,  to  the  "spinning  damsel,"  and  pray  that  she 
will  vouchsafe  to  them  skill  in  needlework.  Then  they  go  to  the  upper 
story,  if  there  be  one,  of  the  house,  and  thread  seven  needles  with  col- 
ored thread,  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  If  they  succeed,  it  is  understood 
as  a  favorable  omen  from  the  goddess.  Water  drawn  from  wells  on 
this  evening  is  supposed  to  impart  clearness  and  purity  to  the  com- 
plexion, and  is  consequently  much  used  by  the  devotees  of  the  "spin- 
ning damsel." 

Legend  says  that  many  centuries  ago,  on  the  fourteenth  of  the  eighth 
month,  a  certain  doctor  was  gathering  medical  herbs  on  the  side  of  a 
mountain,  when  he  saw  a  youth  take  from  a  bag  of  many  colors  a  bunch 
of  herbs,  which  he  dipped  in  dew,  and  with  which  he  anointed  his  eyes. 
On  being  asked  his  reasons  for  doing  so,  he  explained  that  it  was  to 
keep  his  eyes  bright.  Having  said  this,  he  disappeared,  and  the  doctor 
returned,  wondering  at  what  he  had  seen  and  heard.  The  prescription 
thus  communicated  was  regarded  by  the  people  as  being  something 
more  than  human,  and  ever  since,  on  the  anniversary  of  this  day,  they 
anoint  their  eyes  with  dew  applied  with  herbs  kept  in  bags  of  gay 


202  HOLIDAYS,  8 PORTS  AND  GAMES. 

colors.  On  the  same  daj'  children's  heads  are  marked  with  red  paint, 
known  in  superstitious  language  as  "Heaven's  cauterization,"  as  a  pre- 
ventative against  disease. 

On  the  next  evening  falls  the  festival  of  the  moon,  which  is  accom- 
panied with  a  display  of  illuminations  second  only  in  brilliancy  to  the 
Feast  of  Lanterns  in  the  first  month.  Every  house  is  lighted  up,  and 
the  inhabitants  crowd  on  to  the  upper  verandas  and  roofs  to  gaze  on 
the  object  of  their  adoration.  At  intervals  they  worship  before  the 
ancestral  altars,  and  feast  on  cakes,  some  made  round  to^  imitate  the 
moon,  and  others  shaped  after  all  sorts  of  fantastic  designs,  among 
which  representations  of  pagodas  find  a  prominent  place. 

The  ninth  month  is  fruitful  in  curious  observances.  It  is  the  end  of 
autumn,  and  on  the  ninth  occurs  one  of  the  divisions  of  the  year,  upon 
which  the  Chinese  lay  such  stress.  At  court,  the  emperor  opens  the 
hunting  season  on  this  day,  and  goes  to  cover  dressed  in  white,  driving 
white  horses,  and  surrounded  with  white  flags.  If  he  follow  the  rules 
laid  down  for  his  guidance  in  the  book  of  rites,  his  meals  at  this  time 
will  consist  of  a  preparation  of  hemp  and  dog's  flesh.  By  his  subjects 
the  ninth  is  spent  on  the  highest  bit  of  ground  or  the  loftiest  roofs 
within  their  reach,  and  is  employed  in  flying  kites  and  drinking  wine  in 
which  the  petals  of  chrysanthemums  have  been  soaked. 

The  approach  of  cold  weather  at  the  beg"inning  of  the  tenth  month 
suggests  the  necessity  of  providing  for  the  dead  suitable  covering  for 
the  coming  winter,  and  the  ancestral  tombs  again  witness  assemblies  of 
survivors  eager  to  pay  their  respects  and  to  consider  the  comfort  of  the 
departed.  On  this  occasion  paper  clothes  are  carried  to  the  graves,  and 
burnt  before  them,  in  the  belief  that  through  the  flre  they  reach  the 
dead.  Food  is  also  as  at  the  spring  festival  offered  up,  and  as  a  matter 
of  fact  is,  as  then,  eaten  by  the  sacriflcers. 

The  twelfth  of  the  month  is  a  day  of  great  festivity  in  the  palace  of 
the  emperor.  For  days  beforehand  preparations  are  made  for  a  great 
theatrical  display,  the  results  of  which  are  that  the  court  is  kept  amused 
"from  morn  to  dewy  eve."  First  of  all,  the  high  officials  of  the  palace 
present  themselves  before  their  imperial  master  disguised  as  birds  and 
beasts,  and  dance  and  pose  in  a  somewhat  monotonous  ballet.  In  suc- 
cession to  these  disguised  mandarins  come  conjurers,  dancers  and 
acrobats,  whose  skill  is  wonderful,  and  who,  if  native  records  are  to  be 


HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES.  203 

trusted,  realize  to  the  full  the  extraordinary  accounts  current  of  the 
legerdemain  and  activity  of  Eastern  magicians. 

The  winter  solstice,  which  generally  falls  in  the  eleventh  month,  is 
one  of  the  most  noted  sacrificial  periods  of  the  year.  The  night  before 
the  shortest  day  the  emperor  is  supposed  to  spend  in  watching  and 
meditation  at  "the  Hall  of  Fasting,"  adjoining  the  sacrificial  altar 
known  as  the  Yuen  kiu,  or  "Round  mound,"  outside  the  southern  gate 
of  the  capital. 

On  his  return  to  his  palace  the  emperor  receives  in  audience  all  the 
high  officials  of  his  court,  who  congratulate  him  on  their  knees  on  the 
return  of  the  winter  solstice,  and  express  the  wish  which  has  greeted  the 
ears  of  Oriental  sovereigns  through  all  time,  that  he  may  live  forever. 

The  eighth  of  the  last  month  in  the  year  is  set  apart  as  a  solemn  day 
of  thanksgiving  for  the  mercies  received  during  the  year.  From  time 
immemorial  it  has  been  customary  for  the  emperor  to  proceed  in  state 
to  an  altar  to  the  south  of  the  capital,  and  there  offer  up  sacrifices  and 
thanksgivings  for  the  mercies  vouchsafed  the  empire.  An  ancient  prayer 
used  on  these  occasions  ran  thus:  "May  the  earth  remain  at  rest,  and 
the  rivers  return  to  their  beds.  May  the  myriad  insects  forget  to  be 
harmful,  and  trees  and  shrubs  grow  only  in  waste  places." 

Preparations  are  made  at  this  time  for  the  new  year,  and  rites  are 
performed  exorcising  evil  influences.  Processions  march  through  the 
streets  of  the  cities  formed  of  townspeople,  divided  into  companies,  and 
dressed  and  painted  in  all  kinds  of  grotesque  disguises.  The  distortions 
of  form  and  feature  thus  produced,  coupled  with  the  beating  of  drums, 
the  clashing  of  gongs,  and  the  shouts  of  the  people,  are  supposed  to 
frighten  away  evil  demons. 

On  the  twentieth  of  the  month  the  ceremony  of  sealing  up  the  seals 
of  all  offices  is  performed.  Unlike  the  opposite  rite,  when  in  the  first 
month  the  seals  are  opened,  those  of  the  highest  officials  are  sealed  up 
first.  Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  generally  on  the  twenty-third,  the 
festival  in  honor  of  the  kitchen-gods  is  celebrated.  It  is  the  popular 
belief  that  these  deities  ascend  to  heaven  on  this  day,  to  report  to  the 
supreme  ruler  on  the  conduct  of  the  households  over  which  they  have 
presided,  and  the  desire  is  general  to  propitiate  them  on  the  eve  of  their 
departure.  To  this  intent,  sacrificial  meats,  fruits  and  wine  are  placed 
on  a  table  in  the  kitchen,  before  a  picture  of  the  particular  deity  to  be 
worshipped,  and  are  offered  up  to  him  with  prayer  and  thanksgiving. 


204  HOLIDAYS,  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 

Each  member  of  the  family  i>rostrates  himself  before  the  god,  while 
crackers  are  exploded  to  frighten  off  evilly  disposed  spirits. 

The  ceremony  over,  the  picture  which  has  done  duty  during  the  past 
year  is  torn  down  and  burnt,  together  with  the  paper  money  presented 
to  the  god,  and  the  toy  horse  which  is  provided  to  carry  the  god  heaven- 
ward. On  the  following  evening  a  new  picture  of  the  deity  is  pasted  up 
in  the  kitchen,  and  a  congratulatory  sacrifice  of  vegetables  is  offered 
up  to  him.  This,  it  is  thought,  will  secure  his  good  will  and  favorable 
countenance  towards  the  household  for  the  coming  year. 


CHAPTER  XI!. 
THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

Peculiarities  of  tlie  Language— The  Chinese  Possess  No  Alphabet— Beautiful  Inscriptions 
for  Ornamental  Purposes— (xrammatical  Construction— Language  Not  Difficult  to  Acquire 
—A  Literary  People— Books  of  Antiquity— Destruction  of  Literary  Treasures— How 
Many  of  Them  Were  Sayed- The  Book  of  Rites— Spring  and  Autumn  Annals— Works 
of  History— Encyclopaedias— Poetry  and  Song— Maxims  and  Wise  Saws. 

THE  Chinese  language  is  the  chief  among  that  small  class  of 
languages  which  includes  the  Tibetan,  Cochin-Chinese,  Bur- 
mese, Korean  and  Chinese,  and  which  is  usually  described  as 
monosyllabic.  It  is  language  in  its  most  archaic  form.  Every 
word  is  a  root,  and  every  root  is  a  word.  It  is  without  inflection  or  even 
agglutination;  its  substantives  are  indeclinable,  and  its  verbs  are  not  to 
be  conjugated;  it  is  destitute  of  an  alphabet,  and  finds  its  expression  on 
paper  in  thousands  of  distinct  symbols. 

It  is  then  a  language  of  monosyllabic  roots,  which,  as  regards  the 
written  character,  has  been  checked  in  its  growth  and  crystallized  in  its 
most  ancient  form  by  the  early  occurrence  of  a  period  of  great  literary 
activity,  of  which  the  nation  is  proud,  and  to  the  productions  of  which 
every  Chinaman  even  of  the  present  day  looks  back  as  containing  the 
true  standards  of  literary  excellence. 

The  characters  of  the  language  form  the  medium  which  speaks  to  the 
eye,  and  may  be  described  as  the  equivalents  of  the  written  words  of 
other  languages;  but  unlike  these,  instead  of  being  composed  of  letters 
of  an  alphabet,  they  are  either  symbols  intended  to  represent  images, 
or  are  formed  by  a  combination  of  lines,  or  of  two  or  more  such  symbols. 

All  characters,  say  the  Chinese  lexicographers,  had  their  origin  in 
single  strokes,  or  in  hieroglyphics,  and  this,  no  doubt,  is  a  correct  view 
of  the  case. 

Legends  differ  as  to  who  was  the  first  inventor  of  writing  in  China. 
One  attributes  the  invention  to  Fuh-he,  who  caused  the  knotted  cords, 
which  had  been  up  to  that  time  in  use,  to  be  superseded  by  characters 
founded  on  the  shapes  of  his  celebrated  diagrams.  Another  record  states 
that  Tsang  Ki,  who  lived  2700  B.  C,  was  the  Cadmus  of  China.  Accord- 
in;?  to  received  native  accounts,  Tsang  Ki  was  a  man  of  extraordinary 

205 


206  TEE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

ability,  and  was  acquainted  with  the  art  of  writing  from  his  birth. 
While  wandering  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  house  at  Yang-woo,  he  one 
day  met  a  tortoise,  and  obser\'ing  its  shell  distinctly  and  beautifully 
spotted,  he  took  it  home,  and  thus  formed  the  idea  of  representing 
objects  around  him.  Looking  upwards  he  carefully  observed  the  figures 
presented  by  the  stars  and  the  heavenly  bodies;  he  then  attentively 
considered  the  forms  of  birds,  of  mountains  and  rivers,  etc.,  and  from 
them  at  length  originated  the  written  character. 

The  Chinese  attach  much  consideration  to  the  graphic  beauty  of 
their  penmanship,  and  make  use  of  inscriptions  for  ornamental  pur- 
poses, as  may  be  often  seen  on  specimens  of  porcelain  brought  to  this 
country.  The  advantage  of  simplicity  (and  a  very  great  advantage  it 
is)  constitutes  the  merit  of  our  alphabetic  writing;  but  that  of  variety 
and  picturesque  effect  may  fairly  be  claimed  by  the  Chinese.  Nothing 
can  excel  the  neatness  and  beauty  of  Chinese  notes  and  letters,  which 
are  generally  written  on  ornamental  paper  of  various  colors,  called  by 
them  "flowered  leaves."  They  sign  with  a  cipher,  which  every  man 
adopts  for  himself,  being  a  few  characters  combined  in  a  complicated 
manner  into  one. 

It  would  be  an  error  to  suppose  that  the  language,  however  calcu- 
lated from  its  structure  for  durability,  has  not  changed  to  a  certain 
degree  in  the  course  of  time.  Some  characters  or  words  have  become 
obsolete,  others  have  been  gradually  adopted ;  and,  above  all,  the  whole 
is  much  more  copious  than  in  ancient  times.  In  their  earlier  works  there 
is  a  much  greater  economy  of  words  than  in  their  later  literature.  A 
portion  of  the  difficulty  or  obscurity  of  ancient  authors  arises  from  the 
same  word  being  used,  for  example,  in  different  senses,  or  as  a  different 
part  of  speech,  a  defect  which  time,  and  the  multiplication  of  the 
symbols  of  ideas,  have  tended  to  supply.  A  great  increase  especially  has 
taken  place  in  those  particles  of  speech,  which  become  the  more  neces- 
sary in  a  language  in  proportion  as  there  is  less  inflexion,  and  which 
therefore  abound  more  in  the  modern  tongues  than  in  the  ancient 
sources  whence  they  are  derived.  In  Chinese  there  is  no  inflexion  what- 
ever, and  therefore  these  particles  become  the  more  indispensable; 
indeed  native  writers  call  them  by  the  express  terms  of  tsoo-yu,  "assist- 
ants of  speech." 

As  we  cannot  go  far  into  this  subject  in  a  work  of  this  description,  it 
may  suffice  to  observe,  generally,  that  the  grammar  of  the  language  is 


THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE.  207 

extremely  limited.  In  the  absence  of  all  inflexion  the  relation  of  words 
to  each  other  in  a  sentence  can  only  be  marked  by  their  position.  The 
verb,  for  instance,  must  always  precede  its  object,  and  follow  its  agent. 
The  plural  number  is  denoted  by  the  affix  of  mun  to  nouns — jin-mun, 
"men;"  t'ha-mun,  "they;"  or  by  repeating  the  noun,  as  jin  jin,  "men." 
Either  of  these  is  rendered  unnecessary  when  a  specific  number  is  pre- 
fixed, as  san  jin,  "three  men."  The  genitive  or  possessive  case  is  gen- 
erally denoted  by  the  affix  che,  succeeding  the  noun,  like  our  's,  as 
T'hien  che  gen,  "Heaven's  favor."  The  comparison  of  adjectives  is 
marked  by  affixes,  as  haou,  "good;"  keng  haou,  "more  good;"  ting  haou, 
"most  good."  The  structure  of  Chinese  phrases  is  often  discoverable  in 
the  broken  English  of  Canton,  which  is  a  Chinese  idiom  in  English 
words.  The  tense  of  verbs  is  denoted  by  auxiliaries  or  expletives,  as 
t'ha  lae,  "he  comes;"  t'ha  yaou  lae,  "he  shall  come."  The  cases  of  nouns 
and  pronouns  are  determined  by  prepositions,  as  yu  ne,  "to  thee,"  which 
sometimes  become  pos (positions,  as  ty-hea,  "the  earth  below" — under 
the  earth.  They  have  a  species  of  numeral  adjuncts  which  they  join  onto 
nouns  for  the  sake  of  perspicuity  in  speech,  as  ye  pun-shoo,  "a  volume 
book;"  san  kuan-peih,  "three  reed  pencils,"  etc. 

The  collocation  of  words  must  upon  the  whole  be  considered  as  of 
more  importance  in  this,  than  in  those  other  languages  where  the 
relations  of  different  words  to  each  other  are  marked  by  the  infallible 
distinctions  of  number,  gender,  case  and  person,  as  shown  by  inflexion. 
The  Chinese  themselves  divide  their  words  into  three  great  classes: 
first,  "live  words,"  or  verbs,  denoting  action  or  passion;  secondly,  "dead 
words,"  or  nouns  substantive  and  adjective — the  names  and  qualities 
of  things;  thirdly,  "auxiliaries  of  speech,"  or  particles  that  assist  ex- 
pression. 

However  crude  the  Chinese  language  may  seem  to  the  average 
reader,  the  fact  remains  that  by  carefully  following  their  laws  of  syntax, 
it  is  possible  to  express  in  their  tongue  as  exactly  as  in  any  other  lan- 
guage, all  the  parts  of  speech  in  all  their  variety  of  number,  gender, 
ease,  mood,  tense  and  person,  and  therefore  every  possible  shade  of 
meaning  which  it  is  possible  to  convey  by  word  of  mouth.  The  diffi- 
culties of  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  Chinese  have  hitherto  shared  that 
exaggeration  which  surrounds  the  unknown.  It  is  time  the  language 
was  better  understood,  for  at  this  period  of  the  world's  history  we  can- 
not afford  to  leave  unnoticed  a  language  so  ancient  as  to  dwarf  into 


208  THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

insignificance  the  antiquity  of  western  tongues,  and  one  wliich  is  the 
solitary  means  of  communication  between  over  400,000,000  of  our  fellow 
men. 

The  Chinese  are  eminently  a  literary  people.  The  system  of  making 
competitive  examinations  the  only  royal  road  to  posts  of  honor  and 
emolument  and  the  law  which  throws  these  open,  to  everybody  whoi 
chooses  to  compete,  have  caused  a  wider  diffusion  of  book  learning 
among  the  Chinese  than  is  probably  to  be  found  among  any  other  people. 
As  to  the  date  when  literature  first  took  its  rise,  it  is  impossible  to  speak 
with  any  certainty.  The  vicissitudes  which  attended  the  early  manu- 
scripts, and  books  which  were  collected  by  private  individuals  and  in 
the  imperial  libraries  have  been  such  as  to  render  the  preservation  of  any 
ancient  record  a  matter  of  wonder.  Constant  references  are  found  in 
books  to  works  which  are  said  to  have  existed  at  early  dates,  but  of 
many  of  these  the  titles  are  all  that  remain  to  us  now. 

One  of  the  earliest  published  works  on  which  we  can  lay  our  hands 
is  the  Book  of  Changes,  the  first,  and  the  most  revered,  because  the  least 
understood,  of  the  nine  classics.  This  book  first  saw  the  light  within  a 
prison's  walls.  In  the  year  1150  B.  C.  its  author,  Wan  Wang,  was,  we 
are  told,  imprisoned  for  a  political  offense,  and  sought  to  while  away  the 
tedium  of  his  confinement  by  tracing  out  a  system  of  general  philosophy 
from  the  eight  diagrams  and  their  sixty-four  combinations  invented  by 
the  Emperor  Fuh-he.  These  diagrams  have  been  likened  to  the  mystical 
numbers  of  Pythagoras,  and  the  leading  idea  of  Wan  Wang's  sj^stem 
seems  to  have  been  founded  upon  the  Chinese  notions  of  the  creation  of 
the  world,  according  to  which  all  material  things  proceed  from  two 
great  male  and  female  vivifying  elements,  the  Yin  and  the  Yang,  which 
in  their  turn  owe  their  existence  to  the  Tai  Keih,  or  the  first  great 
cause.  The  Chinese  maintain  that  when  from  the  union  of  the  Yang  and 
the  Yin  all  existences,  both  animate  and  inanimate,  had  been  produced, 
the  sexual  principle  was  conveyed  to  and  became  inherent  in  them  all. 
Hence  heaven,  the  sun,  day,  etc.,  are  considered  of  the  male  gender; 
earth,  the  moon,  night,  etc.,  of  the  female.  This  notion  pervades  every 
department  of  knowledge  in  China.  It  exists  in  their  theories  of 
anatomy  and  medicine,  and  is  constantly  referred  to  on  every  subject. 

The  style  and  matter  of  Wan  Wang's  writings  were  so  cramped  and 
vague  that  Confucius  among  others  attempted  the  task  of  elucidating 
their  dark  places.    He  spent  many  years  in  endeavors  to  make  straight 


THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE.  209 

that  which  was  so  crooked ;  and  the  only  result  attained  has  been  to  add 
some  inexplicable  chapters  to  an  incomprehensible  book.  But  the  fact 
that  it  gave  rise  to  a  system  of  divination  saved  it  from  sharing  the  fate 
which  befell  all  books  except  those  on  medicine,  divination  and  hus- 
bandry, at  the  hand  of  the  Emperor  Ohe  Hwang-ti  of  the  Tsin  dynasty. 
As  spoken  of  in  a  previous  chapter,  this  emperor  ordered  the  destruction 
of  all  the  books  to  be  found  within  the  empire,  except  those  on  the 
subjects  just  mentioned.  Fortunately,  no  monarch,  however  powerful, 
is  able  to  carry  out  to  the  letter  an  order  of  so  inquisitorial  a  nature;  and 
the  roofs  of  houses,  the  walls  of  dwellings  and  even  the  beds  of  rivers, 
became  the  receptacles  of  the  literary  treasures  of  the  nation. 

The  works  of  Confucius,  the  Book  of  History,  The  Book  of  Odes,  the 
Spring  and  Autumn  Annals,  together  with  the  Book  of  Rites  and  the 
Four  Books  by  the  disciples  of  Confucius  and  of  Mencius,  were  all  alike 
condemned  to  the  flames.  How  all  these  were  preserved  we  know  not, 
but  history  tells  us  that,  when  in  after  years  efforts  were  made  to  restore 
the  Book  of  History,  twenty-eight  sections  out  of  the  one  hundred  com- 
posing the  entire  work  were  taken  down  from  the  lips  of  a  blind  man 
who  had  treasured  them  in  his  memory.  One  other  was  recovered  from 
a  young  girl  in  the  province  of  Ho-nan.  And  these  are  all  that  would 
probably  have  come  down  to  us,  had  not  a  complete  copy  been  found 
secreted  in  the  wall  of  Confucius'  house,  when  it  was  pulled  down  in  the 
year  140  B.  C. 

This  Book  of  History  consists  of  a  number  of  records  of  the  Ku,  Hea, 
Shang  and  Chow  dynasties,  embracing  the  period  from  the  middle  of 
the  twenty-fourth  century  B.  C.  to  721  B.  C.  These,  and  a  number  of 
other  manuscripts,  attracted  the  attention  of  Confucius  when  he  was  at 
the  court  of  Chow,  and  selecting  those  which  he  deemed  of  value,  he 
compiled  them  into  a  work  which  he  called  the  Shoo  King,  or  Book  of 
History. 

This  work,  as  Mr.  Wells  Williams  says,  "contains  the  seeds  of  all 
things  that  are  valuable  in  the  estimation  of  the  Chinese;  it  is  at  once 
the  foundation  of  their  political  system,  their  history,  and  their  religious 
rites,  the  basis  of  their  tactics,  music  and  astronomy."  For  the  most  part 
it  consists  of  conversations  between  kings  and  their  ministers,  in  which 
are  traced  out  the  same  patriarchal  principles  of  government  as  guide 
the  rulers  of  the  empire  at  the  present  day.  "Virtue,"  said  the  minister 
Kih,  addressing  the  emperor,  "is  the  basis  of  good  government;  and  this 


210  THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

consists  first  in  procuring  for  the  people  the  things  necessary  for  their 
sustenance,  such  as  water,  fire,  metals,  wood  and  grain.  The  ruler  must 
also  think  of  rendering  them  virtuous,  and  of  preserving  them  from 
whatever  can  injure  life  and  health.  When  you  would  caution  them,  use 
gentle  words,  when  you  would  correct,  employ  authority."  "Do  not  be 
ashamed  of  mistakes,  and  thus  make  them  crimes,"  was  another  piece  of 
wholesome  advice  offered  to  the  emperor  by  his  advisers,  the  effect  of 
which  is  still  observable  in  the  outspoken  confessions  of  ofiflcial  incom- 
petence which  are  daily  to  be  met  with  in  the  columns  of  the  Peking 
Gazette. 

The  Book  of  Rites,  Le  Ke,  which  is  the  next  in  order,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  foundation  of  the  present  state  of  Chinese  manners,  and 
one  of  the  causes  of  their  uniform  unchangeableness.  Exterior  forms 
were  highly  esteemed  by  the  earliest  teachers  of  the  country,  on  the 
ground  of  their  being  calculated  to  soften  men's  manners,  and  to  re- 
strain their  natural  proneness  to  excess  and  violence.  They  observed 
that  the  tempers  and  dispositions  of  all  being  different,  the  Le  (or  rules 
of  propriety  in  relation  to  external  conduct)  became  necessary  in  order 
to  harmonize  such  opposite  characters,  and  reconcile  their  differences. 
Hence  it  has  always  been  the  constant  endeavor  of  Chinese  moralists 
and  rulers  to  stifle  everything  like  passion  in  its  birth,  and  to  reduce  all 
to  a  tranquil  dead  level.  The  ceremonial  usages  of  the  country  are 
commonly  estimated  to  amount  to  3,000,  as  prescribed  in  this  ritual,  and 
one  of  the  six  boards  of  tribunals  at  Peking,  called  Le-poo,  is  especially 
charged  with  the  guardianship  and  interpretation  of  these  important 
matters,  which  really  form  a  portion  of  the  religion  of  the  Chinese. 

Spring  and  Autumn  Annals,  the  Chun  Tsew  of  Confucius^  and 
strictly  speaking,  the  only  one  of  the  classics  that  was  entirely  his  own 
work,  has  for  this  reason  a  more  than  usual  interest  attached  to  it. 
Speaking  of  the  time  when  it  appeared,  Mencius  says:  "The  world  was 
fallen  into  decay,  and  right  principles  had  dwindled  away.  Perverse 
discourses  and  oppressive  deeds  were  again  waxen  rife.  Cases  were 
occurring  of  ministers  who  murdered  their  rulers,  and  of  sons  who  mur- 
dered their  fathers.  Confucius  was  afraid,  and  made  the  Chun  Tsew." 
As  soon  as  it  appeared  we  are  told  that  rebellious  ministers  quaked  with 
fear  and  undutiful  sons  were  overcome  with  terror. 

The  title  of  the  book  was  given  it,  we  are  informed,  because  its  com- 
mendations were  life-giving  like  spring,  and  its  censures  life-withering 


THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE.  211 

like  autumn.  The  work  commences  about  750  years  before  our  era,  and 
concludes  with  the  events  which  immediately  preceded  the  death  of  the 
philosopher. 

The  Four  Books  referred  to  in  a  preceding  paragraph  comprise  the 
Ta-heo,  or  "Great  learning,"  the  Chung-yung,  or  the  "Doctrine  of  the 
Mean,"  the  Lun-yu,  or  "Confucian  Analects,"  and  the  Mang-tsze,  the  lat- 
ter the  work  of  Mencius,  a  disciple  of  the  Sage.  All  of  these  represent 
the  views  of  Confucius,  and  if  we  ask  what  those  views  point  to,  we 
find  that  they  may  be  summed  up  in  the  admonition:  "»Walk  in  the 
trodden  paths."  For  as  Confucius  said  of  himself,  he  came  not  to  origi- 
nate, but  to  fulfill,  and  the  primary  object  of  his  teaching  was  to  revive 
in  a  dissolute  age  the  purity,  or  supposed  purity,  of  former  generations; 
to  quote  against  the  depraved  of  his  day  the  examples  of  the  ancients, 
whom  he  believed  to  have  been  scrupulous  in  fulfilling  the  universal 
obligations  existing  between  sovereign  and  minister,  between  father 
and  son,  between  husband  and  wife,  and  between  friend  and  friend.  He 
regarded  the  empire  as  one  family;  and  as  it  was  the  part  of  the  emperor 
to  cherish  and  guard  his  people  as  a.  father  does  his  child,  so  it  was 
the  duty  of  the  people  to  render  willing  and  submissive  obedience  to 
their  sovereign. 

It  is  due  to  these  political  opinions  that  Confucius  has  become  such 
an  object  of  respect  to  both  rulers  and  the  ruled.  The  former  see  in  his 
teachings  a  ready  argument  for  the  maintenance  of  their  authority,  and 
the  people,  believing  that  heaven  has  constituted  for  them  rulers  and 
teachers,  w^hose  duty  it  is  to  extend  favor  and  maintain  tranquillity 
throughout  the  empire,  have  at  the  same  time  learned  that  when  a  ruler 
ceases  to  be  a  minister  for  good,  he  forfeits  the  title  by  which  he  holds 
the  throne.  Confucius  was  ambitious,  and  was  a  courtier  as  well  as  a 
philosopher,  and  beyond  this  point  he  avoided  in  any  shape  or  way 
indicating  the  manner  in  which  an  oppressive  ruler  should  be  induced 
to  abdicate.  No  such  consideration  influenced  his  disciple  Mencius, 
who,  being  superior  to  the  ordinary  ambitions  of  man,  was  superior  also 
to  their  common;  timidities,  and  who  with  much  boldness  of  utterance 
freely  taught  that  the  people  were  the  most  important  element  in  the 
nation,  and  the  sovereign  was  the  lightest;  and  he  did  not  scruple  to 
admit  the  conclusion  that  an  iniquitous  ruler  should  be  dethroned,  and, 
if  circumstances  required  it,  that  he  should  be  put  to  death. 

The  Confucian  Analects  and  the  Works  of  Mencius  differ  in  their  con- 


212  THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

struction  from  the  Great  Learning  and  Doctrine  of  the  Mean,  both  of 
which  are  continuous  treatises  by  individual  authors;  whereas,  the  two 
first  named  are  records  of  the  sayings  and  doings  of  the  two  philoso- 
phers, compiled  from  memory  by  their  faithful  disciples,  and  somewhat 
resemble  in  construction  the  plan  of  the  Gospel  narrative. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  portion  of  Chinese  literature  so  little  interesting 
to  us  as  its  barren  annals,  in  which  the  principal  events  recorded  are  the 
successions  of  long  lists  of  sovereigns,  and  the  mere  domestic  chronicles 
of  a.  country  which  has  always  had  less  connection  with  the  rest  of  the 
world  than  any  other  empire  of  the  same  extent.  Each  dynasty  has  its 
official  annals,  and  the  celebrated  collection  of  twenty-one  histories, 
which  forms  a  well-nigh  unbroken  record  of  the  nation,  by  contem- 
porary authors,  from  the  third  century  B.  C.  down  to  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  forms  a  notable  monument  of  the  indefatigable 
industry  of  their  authors.  These  include  the  Imperial  Records,  which 
consist  of  the  purely  political  events  which  occurred  in  each  reign ;  then 
follow  the  Memoirs,  including  articles  on  mathematical  chronology, 
rites,  music,  jurisprudence,  political  economy,  state  sacrifices,  astron- 
omy, elemental  influences,  geography,  literature,  biographies,  and 
records  of  the  neighboring  countries. 

Allied  to  these  annals  are  the  topographical  works  of  China,  which 
for  breadth  of  scope  and  for  minuteness  of  detail  are  scarcely  to  be 
equalled  in  the  literature  of  any  other  country.  The  most  generally  com- 
prehensive of  these  is  the  Ta  Tsing  yih  tung  chi,  which  forms  a  geog- 
raphy of  the  empire,  together  with  the  Chinese  districts  of  Mongolia  and 
Manchuria  as  existing  since  the  accession  of  the  present  dynasty.  This 
work,  which  consists  of  356  books,  was  published  at  Peking  in  the  year 
1744.  In  it  each  province,  each  prefecture,  each  department  and  each 
district  is  separately  dealt  with;  and  all  are  severally  treated  of  under 
the  following  twenty-four  headings :  1.  A  table  of  the  changes  which 
the  district  to  be  described  has  undergone  during  the  successive 
dynasties  from  the  Han  downwards;  2.  Maps;  3.  A  list  of  the  dis- 
tances from  the  various  places  to  the  chief  towns  of  the  department; 
4.  Its  astronomical  bearings;  5.  Its  ancient  geography;  G.  Its  geographi- 
cal position  and  its  notable  localities;  7.  The  manners  and  customs  of 
the  inhabitants;  8.  Its  fortified  places;  9.  Its  colleges  and  schools;  10.  The 
census  of  the  population;  11.  The  taxes  on  land;  12.  Its  mountains  and 
rivers;  13.  Its  antiquities;  14.  Its  means  of  defense;  15.  Its  bridges; 


y^ 

T3 

0 

-1 

H 

O 

% 

1^ 

< 

3 

(J 

<1) 

«« 

cS 

A 

A 

d) 

< 

:^ 

^ 

ss 

PI 

N 

O 

H 

c 

0) 

a 

o 

0)  — 


—  o 


y^ 

. 

ffi 

Tl 

u 

o 
tn 

^ 

c. 

M 

. 

K 

0/ 

;s 

w 

A 

u 

DS 

QD 

K-l 

« 

Ph 

o 

H 

^ 

;« 

s 

h) 

;- 

0 

u 

CJ 

TEE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE.  215 

16.  Its  dykes;  17.  Its  tombs  and  monuments;  18.  Its  temples  and  an- 
cestral halls;  19.  Its  Buddhist  and  Taouist  temples;  20.  Patriotic  native 
officials  from  the  time  of  the  Han  dynasty  downwards;  21.  Celebrated 
men  and  things;  22.  Illustrious  women;  23.  Saints  and  immortals; 
24.  The  product  of  the  soil. 

It  would  not  be  dealing  fairly  by  Chinese  literature  were  we  to  leave 
this  part  of  our  subject  without  referring  to  the  historical  and  literary 
encyclopaedias  which  form  so  very  notable  a  feature  in  every  library 
throughout  the  country.  The  best  known  of  these  compilations,  and 
the  one  which  may  be  taken  as  a  specimen  of  the  class,  is  the  Wan  heen 
tung  kaou,  by  Ma  T^\'an-lin.  This  work  has  been  more  largely  drawn 
upon  by  Western  writers  than  has  any  other  Chinese  book  of  reference, 
and  those  who  are  best  acquainted  with  it  are  those  who  speak  most 
highly  in  its  praise.  "It  elevates  our  opinion,"  says  Wells  Williams,  "of 
a  nation  whose  literature  can  boast  of  a  work  like  this  exhibiting  such 
patient  investigation  and  candid  comparison  of  authorities,  such  varied 
research  and  just  discrimination  of  what  is  truly  important,  and  so 
extensive  a  mass  of  facts  and  opinions  upon  every  subject  of  historical 
interest." 

In  point  of  size  and  importance,  however,  this  encyclopaedia  yields 
place  to  one  other,  entitled  Koo  kin  too  shoo  tseih  ching,  or  "A  Complete 
Collection  of  Ancient  and  Modem  Books."  During  the  reign  of  the  Em- 
peror Kang-he  it  occurred  to  that  monarch  that,  in  view  of  the  gradual 
alterations  which  were  being  introduced  into  the  texts  of  works  of  inter- 
est and  value,  it  would  be  advisable  to  reprint  such  from  the  old  edi- 
tions. He  therefore  appointed  a  commission,  and  directed  them  to  re- 
print in  one  huge  collection  all  such  works  as  they  might  deem  worthy 
of  preservation.  A  complete  set  of  copper  type  was  cast  for  the  under- 
taking, and  when  the  commissioners  brought  their  labors  to  a  close,  they 
were  able  to  lay  before  the  emperor  a  very  palpable  proof  of  their  dili- 
gence in  the  shape  of  a  compilation  consisting  of  6,109  volumes.  The 
contents  they  divided  under  thirty-two  heads,  embracing  works  on  every 
subject  contained  in  the  national  literature.  Only  a  small  edition  was 
printed  in  the  first  instance,  and  before  long  the  government,  yielding  to 
the  necessities  of  a  severe  monetary  crisis,  ordered  the  copper  type  em- 
ployed to  print  it  to  be  melted  down  for  cash. 

In  China,  as  elsewhere,  the  first  development  of  literary  talent  is 
found  in  poetry.    The  songs  and  ballads  which  form  the  Book  of  Odes 


216  TEE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

date  back  to  a  time  long  antecedent  to  the  production  of  any  works  of 
which  we  have  knowledge.  In  those  early  days,  before  China  was  China, 
the  empire  was  divided  into  a  number  of  feudal  states,  all  of  which,  how- 
ever, acknowledged  fealty  to  the  ruling  sovereign,  at  whose  court  were  a 
number  of  music-masters  and  historiographers,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
collect  and  set  to  music  the  songs  of  the  people,  and  to  preserve  the  his- 
torical records  of  the  empire. 

In  strict  imitation  of  the  surroundings  of  their  liege  lord  the  feuda- 
tory princes  numbered  among  their  retinues  officers  of  like  position  and 
professing  similar  functions.  At  stated  intervals  these  princes,  accom- 
panied by  their  followers,  were  in  the  habit  of  meeting  the  king  at  cer- 
tain recognized  places  to  take  orders  for  the  future  and  to  receive  credit 
or  blame  as  the  case  might  be  for  their  past  conduct.  On  such  occasions 
the  music-masters  would  carry  with  them  the  ballads  and  songs  col- 
lected in  their  principalities,  and  present  them  to  their  superior  at  the 
royal  court. 

Thus  it  happened  that  at  the  time  of  Confucius  there  existed  an  official 
collection  of  some  3,000  songs.  On  these  the  Sage  set  to  work,  and,  in 
the  words  of  the  historian  Sze-ma  Tseen,  "he  rejected  those  which  were 
only  repetitions  of  others,  and  selected  those  which  would  be  serviceable 
for  the  inculcation  of  propriety  and  righteousness."  Such  he  arranged 
to  the  number  of  311  under  four  heads,  namely,  "National  Airs,"  the 
"Lesser"  and  the  "Greater  Eulogies,"  and  the  "Songs  of  Homage,"  and 
gave  the  title  of  She  King,  or  "Book  of  Odes,"  to  the  collection. 

If  we  can  imagine  ourselves  seated  in  the  study  of  the  royal  minister, 
searching  with  him  into  the  ballads  thus  laid  before  us  for  an  indication 
of  the  temper  and  mind  of  the  people  among  whom  they  had  their  birth, 
we  should  be  inclined  to  congratulate  him  on  the  easy  task  entrusted  to 
him  of  governing  such  a  population.  Through  most  of  them  there 
breathes  a  calm  and  patriarchal  simplicity  of  thought  and  life.  There 
are  few  sounds  of  war,  little  tumult  of  the  camp,  but,  on  the  contrary,  a 
spirit  of  peaceful  repose,  of  family  love,  and  of  religious  feeling.  We 
have  brought  before  the  mind's  eye  the  lowly  cottage,  where  dwell  a 
family  united  by  the  bonds  of  affection  and  duty.  Their  food  is  the 
product  of  the  soil  and  the  spoils  of  the  chase. 

The  highest  ambition  of  themen  is  to  excel  as  archers  and  charioteers, 
and  their  religious  worship  is  the  same  as  that  which,  untainted  by 
Buddhism  or  any  other  form  of  philosophical  teaching,  is  now  practiced 


THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE.  217 

at  the  imperial  temples  of  heaven  and  earth,  by  the  emperor  only  as  high 
priest.  Their  wives  are  objects  of  affection  and  respect,  and  though  in 
one  song  we  find  the  belief  expressed  that  "a  wise  woman  will  ruin  a 
city,"  yet  there  seems  to  have  been  an  abundance  of  regard  for  honest 
housewives  who  did  their  duty,  who  shared  the  toils  of  their  husbands, 
and  enjoyed  with  them  the  simple  pleasures  within  their  reach. 

More  serious  by  far  are  the  wailing  complaints  of  misrule  and  tyr- 
anny under  which  the  subjects  of  certain  princes  groan.  But  even  here 
there  are  no  signs  of  insubordination  or  tumult;  the  remedy  which  sug- 
gests itself  to  a  people  patient  and  long-suffering  to  a  degree  is  to  emi' 
grate  beyond  the  reach  of  the  tyrant,  not  to  rise  in  rebellion  against  him. 
In  the  following  lines,  for  instance,  the  writer  begs  his  friends  to  fly  with 
him  from  the  oppression  and  misery  prevailing  in  his  native  state,  which 
he  likens  to  the  north  wind  and  thickly  falling  snow; 

Cold  blows  the  north  wind; 

Thickly  falls  the  snow. 
Oh,  come,  all  ye  that  love  me, 

Let's  join  hands  and  go. 
Can  we  any  longer  stay, 

Victims  to  this  dire  dismay? 

Foxes  and  crows  were  looked  upon  as  creatures  of  evil  omen,  and  so, 
giving  play  to  his  imagination,  he  tells  us  that  the  only  variations  no- 
ticeable in  the  monotony  of  the  present  distress  were  these  prognostics 
of  future  evil,  in  these  words: 

Nought  red  is  seen  but  foxes, 

Nor  aught  else  black  but  crows. 

Oh,  come,  all  ye  that  love  me, 
Let's  fly  before  our  foes. 

Can  we  any  longer  stay, 

Victims  to  this  dire  dismay? 

Though  the  style  and  diction  of  these  songs  are  of  the  simplest  de- 
scription, yet  through  some  of  them  runs  a  rich  vein  of  sentiment,  and 
in  forming  a  judgment  on  them  it  is  necessary  to  remember  that  they 
are  not  studied  poems,  but  simply  what  they  profess  to  be,  songs  of  the 
people. 

One  other  we  will  quote,  taken  from  the  songs  of  homage,  or  hymns 
which  were  sung  either  by  or  before  the  emperor  when  he  sacrificed  as 


218  •        TEE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

high  priest  to  God.  We  are  told  that  this  one  was  sung  by  King  Seuen 
on  the  occasion  of  a  great  drought  in  the  eighth  century  B.  C.  In  it 
he  expostulates  with  God  for  bringing  this  misery  upon  him,  and  ex- 
presses his  belief  that  he  had  a  right  to  expect  succor  instead  of  disaster 
from  the  Most  High. 

Brightly  resplendent  in  the  sky  revolved 
The  milky  way. 

The  monarch  cried,  Alas: 
What  crime  is  ours,  that  Heaven  thus  sends  on  us 
Death  and  Disorder,  that  with  blow  on  blow 
Famine  attacks  us? 

Surely  I  have  grudged 
To  God  no  victims;  all  our  store  is  spent 
Of  tokens.    Why  is  it  I  am  not  heard? 
Kages  the  drought.  The  hills  are  parched,  and  dry 
The  streams.    The  demon  of  the  drought 
Destroys  like  one  who  scatters  fiery  flames. 
Terrified  by  the  burning  heat  my  heart, 
My  mourning  heart,  seems  all  consumed  with  fire. 
The  many  dukes  and  ministers  of  the  past 
Pay  me  no  heed. 

Oh  God :  from  Thy  great  Heaven 
Send  me  permission  to  withdraw  myself 
Into  seclusion. 

Fearful  is  the  drought. 
I  hesitate,  I  dread  to  go  away. 
Why  has  the  drought  been  sent  upon  my  land? 
No  cause  for  it  know  I.    Full  early  rose 
My  prayers  for  a  good  year;  not  late  was  I 
In  offering  sacrifices  unto  the  Lords 
Of  the  four  quarters  and  the  land. 

Afar 
In  the  high  Heaven  God  listens  not.    And  yet 
Surely  a  reverent  man  as  I  have  been 
To  all  intelligent  Spirits  should  not  be 
The  victim  of  their  overwhelming  wrath. 

(The  Book  of  Odes,  pt.  III.,  bk.  III.,  Ode  4) 

Such  is  the  poetry  of  the  Book  of  Odes,  and  such  we  should  have 
expected  to  find  it,  since  the  earliest  specimens  of  poetry  in  every  land 
partake  of  a  simple  and  religious  nature,  are  crude  in  their  measure, 
and  are  wanting  in  that  harmony  which  is  begotten  of  study  and  culti- 


TEE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AMD  LITERATURE.  219 

vation.  Certainly  the  change  that  came  over  the  poetry  of  the  nation 
after  the  time  of  Confucius  is  very  marked.  Instead  of  the  peaceful 
odes  of  his  day,  we  find  pieces  reflecting  the  unsettled  condition  of 
political  and  social  affairs.  Songs  breathing  fire  and  sword,  mingled 
with  wild  fancies,  the  offspring  of  Taouist  teaching,  take  the  place  of  the 
domestic  ballads  of  the  Book  of  Odes.  As  a  specimen  of  the  poetry  of  this 
period,  we  may  quote  the  following  "Lament  of  a  Soldier  on  a  Cam- 
paign," by  Sun  Tze-King,  of  the  Wei  dynasty: 

On  the  hilly  way  blows  the  morning  breeze ;  the 
Autumn  shrubs  are  veiled  in  mist  and  rain. 

The  whole  city  escorts  us  far  on  our  way,  providing  us 
with  rations  for  a  thousand  li. 

Their  very  worst  have  the  three  Fates  done.    Ah  me! 
how  can  I  be  saved?  There  is  naught  more 
bitter  than  an  early  death.    Do  not  the  Gods  desire 
to  gain  perpetual  youth? 

As  Sorrow  and  Happiness,  so  are  Fortune  and  Misfortune 
intermingled.    Heaven  and  Earth  are  the 
moulds  in  which  we  are  formed,  and  in  them  is 
there  nothing  which  does  not  bear  significance. 

Far  into  the  future  looks  the  sage,  early  striving  to 
avert  calamity.    But  who  can  examine  his  own 
heart,  scrutinize  it  by  the  light  of  heaven,  regulate 
it  for  his  present  life,  and  preserve  it  for  the 
old  age  which  is  to  come? 

Longer  grows  the  distance  from  what  I  have  left 

behind  me:  my  trouble  is  greater  than  I  can  bear. 

With  other  poets  this  new  phase  of  belief  encouraged  a  contempt  for 
life,  and  an  uncertainty  of  all  beyond  it;  and  these  during  the  first  two 
centuries  gave  vent  to  their  indifference  in  odes  advocating  the  Epi- 
curean philosophy,  "Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die."  Eight 
short  dynasties,  times  of  confusion  and  disorder,  followed  after  the 
Hans,  and  then  came  the  Tang  dynasty,  a  period  which  is  looked  back 
upon  as  being  the  golden  age  of  literature,  as,  indeed,  it  was  in  every 
field  which  marks  a  nation's  greatness.  It  was  a  time  of  prosperity 
and  peace.  Literature  flourished,  and  skill  and  art  were  employed  to 
soften  and  add  harmony  to  the  national  poetry. 

Le  Tai-pih,  the  greatest  poet  of  his  time,  turned  his  lyre  to  notes  on 
the  pleasures  of  wine  and  of  beauty.    Evening  feasts  amid  gardens  rich 


220  THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE. 

with  the  bloom  of  a  thousand  flowers  furnished  themes  upon  which  he 
and  his  imitators  were  never  tired  of  dilating.  Such  sonnets  are  some- 
times pretty,  and  occasionally  the  ideas  they  contain  are  striking;  bill 
the  disadvantages  of  the  language  and  of  education  weigh  heavily  upon 
their  authors,  and  they  seldom  rise  above  the  level  of  mediocrity.  The 
following  is  taken  from  the  writings  of  the  poet  just  mentioned,  and  is  a 
literal  translation  of  the  verse: 

A  SOLITARY  CAROUSE  ON  A  DAY  IN  SPRING. 

The  east  wind  fans  a  gentle  breeze, 

The  streams  and  trees  glory  in  the  brightness  of  the  Spring, 

The  bright  sun  illuminates  the  green  shrubs. 

And  the  falling  flowers  are  scattered  and  fly  away. 

The  solitary  cloud  retreats  to  the  hollow  hill. 

The  birds  return  to  their  leafy  haunts. 

Every  being  has  a  refuge  whither  he  may  turn. 

I  alone  have  nothing  to  which  to  cling. 

So,  seated  opposite  the  moon  shining  o'er  the  cliff, 

I  drink  and  sing  to  the  fragrant  blossoms 

The  Chinese  have  many  aphorisms,  of  which  they  are  extremely  fond, 
and  for  the  expression  of  which  their  language  is  singularly  well 
adapted.  Pairs  of  these  sentences,  displaying  a  parallelism  of  construc- 
tion as  well  as  of  meaning,  and  written  in  a  fine  character  on  ornamen- 
tal labels,  are  a  frequent  decoration  of  their  dwellings  and  temples. 
There  is  a  work  in  a  single  volume  called  Ming-sin  paou-kien,  "A 
precious  Mirror  to  throw  light  on  the  Mind,"  being  in  fact  a  dictionary' 
of  quotations,  filled  with  such  extracts  from  various  works,  and  there- 
fore very  useful  to  a  learner.  The  favorite  sayings  and  proverbs  of  all 
nations  are  among  the  best  sources  of  information  respecting  their  real 
character  and  condition;  and  with  this  view  the  reader  is  presented 
below  with  a  collection,  which  has  been  made  without  any  regard  to 
arrangement  or  order: 

A  wise  man  adapts  himself  to  circumstances,  as  water  shapes  itself 
to  the  vessel  that  contains  it. 

The  error  of  one  moment  becomes  the  sorrow  of  a  whole  life. 

When  the  tree  is  felled  its  shadows  disappear.  (Desertion  of  the 
great  by  their  parasites.) 

If  the  roots  be  left,  the  grass  will  grow  again.  (Reason  given  for  ex- 
terminating a  traitor's  family.) 


THE  CHINESE  LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE,         221 

The  gem  cannot  be  polished  without  the  friction,  nor  man  perfected 
without  adversity. 

Ivory  is  not  obtained  from  rat's  teeth.    (Said  in  contempt.) 

Riches  come  better  after  poverty  than  poverty  after  riches. 

A  bird  can  roost  on  but  one  branch;  a  mouse  can  drink  no  more  than 
its  fill  from  a  river.    (Enough  is  as  good  as  a  feast.) 

Who  swallows  quick,  can  chew  but  little.    (Applied  to  learning.) 

The  gods  cannot  help  a  man  who  loses  opportunities. 

Eggs  are  close  things,  but  the  chicks  come  out  at  last.  (Murder  will 
out.) 

When  Yen-wang  (the  king  of  Hell)  has  decreed  a  man  to  die  at  the 
third  watch,  no  power  will  detain  him  till  the  fifth. 

To  win  a  cat  and  lose  a  cow.    (Consequences  of  litigation.) 

Old  age  and  faded  flowers,  no  remedies  can  revive. 

Something  is  learned  every  time  a  book  is  opened. 

Great  wealth  comes  by  destiny;  moderate  wealth  by  industry. 

Large  fowls  will  not  eat  small  grain.  (Great  mandarins  are  not  con- 
tent with  little  bribes.) 

Lookers  on  may  be  better  judges  of  the  game  than  the  players. 

The  best  thing  is  to  be  respected,  and  the  next  to  be  loved;  it  is  bad 
to  be  hated,  but  worse  still  to  be  despised. 

While  at  their  ease  men  burn  no  incense;  but  when  trouble  comes 
they  clasp  the  feet  of  Fo. 

A  good  action  does  not  go  beyond  the  doors;  a  bad  one  is  carried  a 
hundred  leagues. 

He  who  does  not  soar  high  will  suffer  less  by  a  fall. 

The  fish  dwell  in  the  depth  of  the  waters,  and  the  eagles  in  the  sides 
of  heaven;  the  one,  though  high,  may  be  reached  with  the  arrow,  and 
the  other,  though  deep,  with  the  hook;  but  the  heart  of  a  man,  at  a  foot 
distance,  cannot  be  known. 

Let  every  man  sweep  the  snow  from  before  his  own  doors,  and  not 
busy  himself  about  the  frost  on  his  neighbor's  tiles. 

In  a  field  of  melons,  do  not  pull  up  your  shoe;  under  a  plum  tree,  do 
not  adjust  your  cap.  (Be  careful  of  your  conduct  under  circumstances 
of  suspicion.) 

By  nature  all  men  are  alike,  but  by  education  widely  different. 

A  careful  study  of  the  literature  of  China  in  the  past  offers  very 
little  encouragement  for  its  future.    Already  every  subject  within  the 


22^         TEE  cmM8:B  LAmUACfE  AND  LITMAWBS. 

scope  of  Chinese  authors  has  been  largely  treated  of  and  infinitely  elab- 
orated. Every  grain  of  wheat  has  long  ago  been  beaten  out  of  it,  and 
any  further  labor  expended  on  it  can  be  but  as  thrashing  out  of  straw. 
The  only  hope  for  the  future  of  the  literature  is  that  afforded  by  the 
importation  of  foreign  knowledge  and  experience  into  the  country.  For 
many  years  these  can  only  be  introduced  in  the  shape  of  translations  of 
books.  But  the  time  must  come  when  Chinese  authors  will  think  for 
themselves;  and  when  that  period  arrives,  they  will  learn  to  estimate 
their  present  literature  at  its  true  value,  and  appreciate  the  fact  that 
creditable  as  it  is  in  many  particulars,  it  is  not  to  be  compared  with 
the  works  of  the  great  writers  of  Western  lands. 


CHAPTER  Xlll. 
RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

The  Three  Religions  of  China — The  Doctrines  of  Confucius — Influence  of  Confucianism  on 
Succeeding  Ages — Worship  of  Shang-te — Lao-tsze,  the  Founder  of  Taoism — The  Princi- 
ples of  the  Sect — Introduction  of  Buddhism — The  Dream  of  an  Emperor — Mohammedanism, 
and  Its  Few  Followers  in  China — The  Chinese  Nation  Founded  on  and  Governed  by  Super- 
stitions— Interpretation  of  Dreams — Fortune  Tellers,  and  Their  Methods— A  Buddhist 
Story — How  Horoscopes  are  Cast. 

THE  Chinese  describe  themselves  as  possessing  three  religions, 
or  more  accurately  three  sects,  namely  Joo  keaou,  the  sect  of 
Scholars;  Fuh  keaou,  the  sect  of  Buddha,  and  Tao  keaou,  the 
sect  of  Tao.  Both  as  regards  age  and  origin,  the  sect  of  Schol- 
ars, or,  as  it  is  generally  called,  Confucianism,  represents  pre-eminently 
the  religion  of  China.  It  has  its  root  in  the  worship  of  Shang-te,  a  deity 
which  is  associated  with  the  earliest  traditions  of  the  Chinese  race. 
Huang-te  (2697  B.  C.)  erected  a  temple  to  his  honor,  and  succeeding 
emperors  worshipped  before  his  shrine. 

The  very  uncertain  light  that  history  throws  on  the  condition  of  the 
empire  during  the  Hea  dynasty  and  the  preceding  centuries,  makes  it 
impossible  to  predicate  anything  of  the  relations  in  which  the  sovereigns 
and  the  people  stood  to  Shang-te;  but  with  the  rise  to  power  of  the 
Shang  dynasty,  we  find  a  belief  prevailing  in  the  personal  interference 
of  Shang-te  in  the  affairs  of  men.  It  was  due  to  him  that,  as  a  reward 
for  virtuous  and  godly  living,  men  were  raised  to  the  throne,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  his  was  the  avenging  power  which  drove  into  obscurity 
those  sovereigns  who  had  deserted  the  paths  of  rectitude.  Thus  we  read 
in  the  Shoo-king  that,  "moved  with  indignation  at  the  crime  of  King 
Show,  Great  Heaven  (Shang-te)  charged  King  Wan  (the  twelfth  century 
B.  C.)  to  display  his  majesty,  and  to  destroy  the  tyrant."    . 

But  during  the  troublous  times  which  followed  after  the  reign  of  the 
first  few  sovereigns  of  the  Chow  dynasty,  the  belief  in  a  personal  deity 
grew  indistinct  and  dim,  until,  when  Confucius  began  his  career,  there 
appeared  nothing  strange  in  his  atheistic  doctrines.  He  never  in  any 
way  denied  the  existence  of  Shang-te,  but  he  ignored  him.  His  concern 
was  with  man  as  a  member  of  society,  and  the  object  of  his  teaching 

S23 


224  RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

was  to  lead  him  into  those  paths  of  rectitude  which  might  best  con- 
tribute to  his  own  happiness,  and  to  the  well-being  of  that  community  of 
which  he  formed  a  part. 

Man,  he  held,  was  born  good,  and  was  endowed  with  qualities  which, 
when  cultivated  and  improved  by  watchfulness  and  self-restraint,  might 
enable  him  to  acquire  godlike  wisdom  and  to  become  "the  equal  of 
Heaven."  He  divided  mankind  into  four  classes,  viz.,  "those  who  are 
born  with  the  possession  of  knowledge;  those  who  learn,  and  so  readily 
get  possession  of  knowledge;  those  who  are  dull  and  stupid,  and  yet 
succeed  in  learning;  and,  lastly,  those  who  are  dull  and  stupid,  and  yet 
do  not  learn."  To  all  these,  except  those  of  the  last  class,  the  path  to  the 
climax  reached  by  the  "Sage"  is  open.  Man  has  only  to  watch,  listen 
to,  understand  and  obey  the  moral  sense  implanted  in  him  by  Heaven 
and  the  highest  perfection  is  within  his  reach.  The  self-cultivation  of 
each  man  was  the  root  of  the  system,  which  is  thus  epitomized  in  the 
"Great  Learning,"  by  Tsang,  one  of  Confucius'  disciples:  "The  ancients 
who  wished  to  illustrate  illustrious  virtue  throughout  the  empire,  first 
ordered  well  their  own  states.  Wishing  to  order  well  their  own  states, 
they  first  regulated  their  families.  Wishing  to  regulate  their  families, 
they  first  cultivated  their  persons.  Wishing  to  cultivate  their  persons, 
they  first  rectified  their  hearts.  Wishing  to  rectify  their  hearts,  they  first 
sought  to  be  sincere  in  their  thoughts.  Wishing  to  be  sincere  in  their 
thoughts,  they  first  extended  to  the  utmost  their  knowledge.  Such  ex- 
tension of  knowledge  lay  in  the  investigation  of  things.  When  things 
were  investigated,  knowledge  became  complete.  Their  knowledge  being 
complete,  their  thoughts  became  sincere.  Their  thoughts  being  sincere, 
their  hearts  were  then  rectified.  Their  hearts  being  rectified,  their  per- 
sons were  cultivated.  Their  persons  being  cultivated,  their  families  were 
regulated.  Their  families  being  regulated,  their  states  were  rightly  gov- 
erned. Their  states  being  rightly  governed,  the  whole  empire  was  made 
tranquil  and  happy." 

Like  the  widening  ripple  caused  by  dropping  a  stone  into  a  pool,  all 
these  consequences  were  to  flow  from  self-cultivation,  the  effect  of 
which  finds  its  expression  in  words  and  conduct.  Principally,  however, 
in  the  exercise  of  filial  piety,  which  is  the  cornerstone  of  the  Confucian 
edifice. 

But  in  this  system  there  is  no  place  for  a  personal  God.  The  imper- 
sonal Heaven,  according  to  Confucius,  implants  a  pure  nature  in  every 


RELIGIONS  OF  TEE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  225 

being  at  liis  birth,  but,  having  done  this,  there  is  no  further  super- 
natural interference  with  the  thoughts  and  deeds  of  men.  It  is  in  the 
power  of  each  one  to  perfect  his  nature,  and  there  is  no  divine  influence 
to  restrain  those  who  take  the  downward  course.  Man  has  his  destiny 
in  his  owm  hands,  to  make  or  to  mar.  Neither  had  Confucius  any  induce- 
ment to  offer  to  encourage  man  in  the  practice  of  virtue,  except  virtue's 
self.  He  was  a  matter-of-fact,  unimaginative  man,  who  was  quite  con- 
tent to  occupy  himself  with  the  study  of  his  fellow-men,  and  was  disin- 
clined to  grope  into  the  future  or  to  peer  upwards.  No  wonder  that  his 
system,  as  he  enunciated  it,  proved  a  failure.  Eagerly  he  sought  in  the 
execution  of  his  official  duties  to  effect  the  regeneration  of  the  empire, 
but  beyond  the  circle  of  his  personal  disciples  he  found  few  followers, 
and  as  soon  as  the  princes  and  statesmen  had  satisfied  their  curiosity 
about  him  they  turned  their  backs  on  his  precepts  and  would  have  none 
of  his  reproofs. 

Succeeding  ages,  recognizing  the  loftiness  of  his  aims,  eliminated  all 
that  was  impracticable  and  unreal  in  his  system,  and  held  fast  to  that 
part  of  it  that  was  true  and  good.  They  were  content  to  accept  the  logic 
of  events,  and  to  throw  overboard  the  ideal  "Sage,"  and  to  ignore  the 
supposed  potency  of  his  influence;  but  they  clung  to  the  doctrines  of 
filial  piety,  brotherly  love,  and  virtuous  living.  It  was  the  admiration 
for  the  emphasis  which  he  laid  on  these  and  other  virtues  which  has 
drawn  so  many  millions  of  men  unto  him;  which  has  made  his  tomb  the 
Mecca  of  Confucianism,  and  has  adorned  every  city  of  the  empire  with 
temples  built  in  his  honor. 

Twice  a  year  the  emperor  goes  in  state  to  the  Kwo-tsze-keen  temple 
at  Peking,  and  having  twice  knelt  and  six  times  bowed  his  head  to  the 
earth,  invokes  the  presence  of  the  Sage  in  these  words:  "Great  art  thou, 
O  perfect  Sage!  Thy  virtue  is  full;  thy  doctrine  is  complete.  Among 
mortal  men  there  has  not  been  thine  equal.  All  kings  honor  thee.  Thy 
statutes  and  laws  have  come  gloriously  down.  Thou  art  the  pattern  of 
this  imperial  school.  Reverently  have  the  sacrificial  vessels  been  set 
out.    Full  of  awe  we  sound  out  drums  and  bells." 

On  the  same  dates,  in  the  spring  and  autumn,  the  officials  in  every  city 
go  to  the  local  temples,  and  there  imitate  the  reverence  and  worship  of 
their  imperial  master.  But  concurrently  with  the  lapse  of  pure  Con- 
fucianism, and  the  adoption  of  those  principles  which  find  their  earliesl 
expression  in  the  pre-Confucian  classics  of  China,  there  is  observable  a 


226  RELiOWNS  OP  THE  CHINESE  EMPlBE. 

return  to  the  worship  of  Shang-te.  The  most  magnificent  temple  in  the 
empire  is  the  Temple  of  Heaven  at  Peking,  where  the  highest  object  of 
Chinese  worship  is  adored  with  the  purest  rites.  The  emperor,  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  empire,  alone  worships  at  this  sacred  shrine,  where  no 
trace  of  idolatry  finds  a  place.  The  evening  before  the  day  of  sacrifice 
he  goes  in  an  elephant  carriage,  and  accompanied  by  his  princes  and 
ministers,  to  the  Palace  of  Fasting  adjoining  the  temple,  and  there 
spends  the  night  in  meditation.  At  dawn  of  day  he  ascends  to  the 
Altar  of  Heaven,  which  consists  of  three  round  marble  terraces,  and 
which  is  reached  by  twenty-seven  steps.  Here  he  prostrates  himself 
before  the  tablet  of  Shang-te,  and,  having  presented  the  sacrifices  pre- 
scribed in  the  rituals,  he  offers  up  a  prayer,  in  which  he  humbles  himself 
before  the  deity,  and  beseeches  him  to  bestow  his  blessings  on  the  land. 

What  is  popularly  understood  in  Western  countries  as  Confucianism 
is,  therefore,  Confucianism  with  the  distinctive  opinions  of  Confucius 
omitted;  and  is  far  more  correctly  described  by  the  Chinese  denomination 
of  Joo  keaou,  or  sect  of  Scholars,  since  it  finds  its  expression  in  those 
ancient  classical  works  from  which  alone  the  scholars  of  the  empire 
draw  their  faith  and  wisdom. 

But  this  worship  of  Shang-te  is  confined  alone  to  the  emperor.  The 
people  have  no  lot  or  heritage  in  the  sacred  acts  of  worship  at  the  Altar 
of  Heaven.  Their  part  in  the  Joo  keaou  is  to  reverence  their  parents, 
to  love  their  brothers,  to  obey  their  rulers,  to  be  content  with  the  knowl- 
edge placed  within  their  reach,  to  live  peaceably  with  their  neighbors, 
and  to  pay  their  taxes.  These  are  the  main  points  insisted  on  in  the 
sixteen  maxims  of  the  Emperor  K'ang-he,  and  they  are  the  popular 
outcome  of  an  impossible  system,  which  appealed  only  to  the  intellects 
of  a  small  body  of  scholars. 

Side  by  side  with  the  revival  of  the  Joo  keaou,  under  the  influence  of 
Confucius,  grew  up  a  system  of  a  totally  different  nature,  and  which, 
when  divested  of  its  esoteric  doctrines,  and  reduced  by  practically 
minded  Chinamen  to  a  code  of  morals,  was  destined  in  future  ages  to 
become  affiliated  with  the  teachings  of  the  Sage.  This  was  Taoism, 
which  was  founded  by  Lao-tsze.  Of  his  parentage  we  know  nothing,  and 
the  historians,  in  their  anxiety  to  conceal  their  ignorance  of  his  earlier 
years,  shelter  themselves  behind  the  legend  that  he  was  bom  an  old 
man.  He  certainly  first  appears  on  the  stage  when  past  middle  age,  and 
in  this  he  affords  a  marked  contrast  to  his  great  rival,  about  whose 


BELIGI0N8  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  227 

birth,  childhood  and  youth  we  have  abundant  detail.  His  appearance 
also  was  unusual.  His  ears  were  large,  his  eyebrows  were  handsome, 
he  had  large  eyes,  a  double-ridged  nose,  and  a  square  mouth.  These  are 
very  un-Chinese  features,  and,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  nothing  is 
known  either  of  his  early  days  nor  of  his  declining  years,  they  suggest 
the  possibility  that  he  was  a  foreigner,  or  perhaps  a  member  of  an 
aboriginal  frontier  tribe.  This  supposition  finds  some  countenance  in 
the  name  of  Le,  which  he  assumed,  that  being  the  name  of  one  of  the 
most  powerful  tribes  in  ancient  China. 

By  some  it  is  said  that  he  was  born  at  the  village  of  Keuh  jin  ("op- 
pressed benevolence"),  in  the  parish  of  Le  ("cruelty"),  in  the  district  of 
K'oo  ("bitterness"),  in  the  state  of  Ts'oo  ("suffering").  This  K'oo  is  com- 
monly identified  with  an  ancient  city  of  that  name,  which  stood  near 
the  modern  Kwei-tih  Foo,  in  the  province  of  Ho-nan. 

This  is  all  that  his  biographers  have  to  tell  us  of  him  until  he  ap- 
pears as  Keeper  of  the  Archives  at  the  Court  of  Chow.  Here  we  find 
him,  suiTounded  by  a  band  of  disciples,  teaching  a  system  which  em- 
bodied so  many  of  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Indian  philosophers,  that 
the  question  suggests  itself,  whether  or  no  he  might  not  have  become, 
in  some  way,  imbued  with  the  tenets  of  those  men.  We  know  that  com- 
munication with  India  was  open,  even  at  that  period,  and  it  might  be 
that  he  was  either  a  native  of  that  country  or  of  one  of  the  intervening 
states. 

The  object  of  his  teaching  was  to  induce  men,  by  the  practice  of  self- 
abnegation,  to  arrive  at  being  absorbed  in  something  which  he  called 
Tao,  and  which  bears  a  certain  resemblance  to  the  Nirvana  of  the 
Buddhists.  The  primary  meaning  of  Tao  is  "The  way,"  "The  path," 
but  in  Lao-tsze's  philosophy  it  was  more  than  the  way,  it  was  the  way- 
goer  as  well.  It  was  an  eternal  road;  along  it  all  beings  and  things 
walked;  it  was  everything  and  nothing,  and  the  cause  and  effect  of  all. 
All  things  originated  from  Taou,  conformed  to  Tao,  and  to  Tao  at  last 
returned. 

"Tao  is  impalpable.  You  look  at  it,  and  you  cannot  see  it;  you  listen 
to  it,  and  you  cannot  hear  it ;  you  try  to  touch  it,  and  you  cannot  reach 
it;  you  use  it,  and  you  cannot  exhaust  it.  It  is  not  to  be  expressed  in 
words.  It  is  still  and  void;  it  stands  alone  and  changes  not;  it  circulates 
everywhere  and  is  not  endangered.  It  is  ever  inactive,  and  yet  leaves 
nothing  undone.     *     *     ♦     Formless,  it  is  the  cause  of  form.    *     *     * 


228  RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

It  is  the  ethical  nature  of  the  good  man,  and  the  principle  of  his  action. 
If,  then,  we  had  to  express  the  meaning  of  Tao,  we  should  describe  it  as 
the  Absolute;  the  totality  of  Being  and  Things;  the  phenomenal  world 
and  its  order;  and  the  ethical  nature  of  the  good  man,  and  the  principle 
of  his  action." 

The  teachings  of  Lao-tsze  having  familiarized  the  Chinese  mind  with 
philosophical  doctrines,  which,  whatever  were  their  direct  source,  bore  a 
marked  resemblance  to  the  musings  of  the  Indian  sages,  served  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  the  introduction  of  Buddhism.  The  exact  date  at 
which  the  Chinese  first  became  acquainted  with  the  doctrines  of  Buddha 
was,  according  to  an  author  quoted  in  K'ang-he's  Imperial  Encyclopedia, 
the  thirtieth  year  of  the  reign  of  She  Hwang-te,  that  is,  B.  O.  216.  The 
Western  Shaman,  Le-fang,  with  seventeen  others,  arrived,  we  are  told, 
at  Loyang,  in  the  year  mentioned,  bringing  with  them  original  sutras  in 
Brahma's  characters.  Being  foreigners,  they  were  examined  by  the 
officials,  and  by  the  emperor's  orders  were  thrown  into  prison  as  "strange 
customers."  But  Le-fang  and  his  comrades  continued  chanting  the 
Maha  Prajna  Paramita,  when  suddenly  a  brilliantly  bright  and  shining 
light,  accompanied  by  an  auspicious  halo,  permeated  into  and  filled  the 
prison.  And  at  the  same  time  appeared  a  deity,  bright  as  gold,  holding 
in  his  hand  a  sceptre  with  which,  with  exceeding  majesty,  he  struck  the 
prison  walls,  which  shivered  to  atoms  at  his  blow.  Le-fang  and  his 
companions  then  came  forth,  and  the  emperor,  alarmed  at  the  miracle, 
repented  of  his  sin,  and  treated  his  quondam  prisoners  with  every  sign 
of  marked  respect. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  this  story  is  strangely  suggestive  of  the 
narrative  of  St.  Peter's  imprisonment,  over  two  hundred  years  later. 

What  became  of  Le-fang  and  his  missionaries  we  are  not  told.  It  is 
evident,  however,  that  they  left  no  mark  on  the  minds  of  the  people,  and 
the  next  reference  to  Buddhism,  or  what  is  claimed  as  Buddhism,  is 
found  in  the  history  of  the  reign  of  Woo-te,  who,  in  B.  C.  120,  sent  an 
army  against  the  Heung-noo  Tartars.  The  commander  returned  vic- 
torious, and  brought  with  him  among  other  trophies  a  golden  image 
which  had  been  an  object  of  worship  among  the  enemy.  But,  even  if  the 
image  was  that  of  Buddha,  no  instruction  in  the  religion  was  received 
with  it,  and  it  was  reserved  for  the  Emperor  Ming-te,  182  years  later,  to 
introduce  a  knowledge  of  the  pure  and  lofty  system  of  religion  knowp 
to  the  world  as  Buddhism. 


RELIGIONS  OF  TEE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  229 

This  emperor  had  a  dream  in  which  a  monster  golden  image  ap- 
peared to  him,  and  addressing  him,  said:  "Buddha  bids  you  send  to  the 
Western  countries  to  search  for  him,  and  to  get  books  and  images." 
Ming-te  obeyed,  and  sent  an  embassy  to  India,  which  returned  after  an 
absence  of  eleven  years,  bringing  back  images,  drawings,  and  the  Sutra 
of  forty-two  Sections,  and,  what  was  more  important,  the  mission  Avas 
accompanied  by  the  Indian,  Kasyapa  Matanga,  who,  on  his  arrival  at 
Loyang,  translated  the  Sutra  into  Chinese.  Other  teachers  soon  fol- 
lowed, other  books  of  the  faith  were  translated,  and  from  this  time 
Buddhism  grew  and  prevailed  in  the  land. 

But,  besides  books  and  images,  relics  of  Buddha  were  brought  to 
China,  and  were  received  with  every  token  of  honor.  Bits  taken  from 
Buddha's  chain  and  bones  of  the  saint  aroused  the  rapture  of  the  Chi- 
nese converts,  and  pagoda  after  pagoda  was  erected  to  cover  a  scrap  of 
flesh,  a  bone,  or  a  hair  of  the  head  of  Buddha.  Like  the  Jews  of  old,  they 
were  eager  after  signs,  and  self-interest  made  the  teachers  of  the  religion 
nothing  loth  to  grant  them  their  desire.  By  the  exercise  of  their  super- 
natural powers  they  rescued  souls  from  hell,  and  arrested  pain  and 
death.  In  the  sendees  of  the  church  they  added  ritual  to  ritual,  and 
surrounded  with  tawdry  ceremonial  the  worship  of  their  multiplied 
images.  By  such  means  they  won  their  way  among  the  people,  and  even 
sternly  orthodox  Confucianists  to  this  day  make  use  of  their  services 
to  chant  the  liturgies  of  the  dead. 

But  while  that  inexorable  taskmaster.  Superstition,  compels  even  the 
wise  and  the  learned  to  pay  their  homage  to  folly,  there  is  scarcely  an 
educated  Chinaman  who  would  not  indignantly  repudiate  the  imputa- 
tion of  being  a  follower  of  Buddha;  and,  though  the  common  people 
throng  the  temples  to  buy  charms  and  consult  astrology,  they  yet  thor- 
oughly despise  both  the  priests  and  the  religion  they  profess.  But 
Buddhism  has  after  all  been  a  blessing  rather  than  a  curse  to  China. 
It  has,  to  a  certain  extent,  lifted  the  mind  of  the  people  from  the  too 
exclusive  consideration  of  mundane  affairs,  to  the  contemplation  of  a 
future  state.  It  has  taught  them  to  value  more  highly  purity  of  life ;  to 
exercise  self -constraint  and  to  forget  self;  and  to  practice  love  and  char- 
ity towards  their  neighbors 

From  what  has  been  said  it  will  be  seen  that  no  clearly  defined  line 
of  demarcation  separates  the  three  great  sects  of  China.  Each  in  its 
i;urn  has  borrowed  from  the  others,  until  at  the  present  day  it  may  be 


230  RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

doubted  whether  there  are  to  be  found  any  pure  Oonfucianists,  pure 
Buddhists,  or  pure  Taouists.  Confucianism  has  proved  the  moral  basis 
on  which  the  national  character  of  the  Chinese  rests,  and  Buddhism 
and  Taouism  have  supplied  the  supernatural  elements  wanting  in  that 
system.  Speaking  generally,  the  religion  of  China  is  a  medley  of  the 
three  great  sects,  which  are  now  so  closely  interlaced  that  it  is  impos- 
sible either  to  classify,  localize  or  enumerate  the  members  of  each  creed. 

The  only  other  religion  that  has  made  any  perceptible  headway  in 
China  is  Mohommedanism,  which  is  confined  to  the  southwestern  and 
northwestern  provinces  of  the  empire.  In  this  faith,  also,  the  process  of 
absorption  into  the  national  mixture  of  beliefs  is  making  way,  and 
since  the  suppression  of  the  Panthay  rebellion  in  Yunnan,  there  has 
been  a  gradual  decline  in  the  number  of  the  followers  of  the  Prophet. 

The  Chinese  are  excessively  addicted  to  superstitious  practices, 
which  arise  from  alternately  prevailing  hopes  and  fears,  excited  by 
eclipses,  comets,  meteors,  earthquakes,  inundations,  drouth,  famine, 
locusts  and  other  natural  phenomena ;  all  of  which  are  regarded  as  indi- 
cations of  the  displeasure  of  Heaven,  and  of  the  necessity  of  repentance 
and  reformation.  Their  early  cultivation  of  astronomy,  without  the 
light  of  kindred  sciences  to  conduct  them  to  logical  conclusions,  has 
been  the  means  of  bewildering  their  minds  in  the  entanglements  of 
astrolog3^,  by  the  principles  of  which  they  interpret  every  physical  phe- 
nomenon as  a  supernatural  token  of  their  own  inevitable  destiny. 

Chinese  historians  have  recorded  numerous  earthquakes,  inunda- 
tions of  rivers,  rushing  down  of  mountains,  storms  and  tempests  of  rain 
and  hail,  and  have  mentioned  rain  and  wind  appearing  to  them  as 
blood;  all  of  which  were  viewed  as  portentous  omens  of  national  and 
moral  evil,  but  were  permitted  to  pass  away  without  any  attempt  to 
explore  the  physical  principles  of  their  phenomena.  On  one  occasion 
the  hailstones,  which,  from  the  description  of  them,  must  have  been  of 
enormous  size,  killed  those  on  whom  they  fell. 

A  comet  and  a  dark  spot  on  the  sun  were  observed  at  the  beginning 
of  the  fourth  century,  in  two  different  reigns;  and  about  the  middle  of 
the  ninth  century  two  falling  stars,  or  meteors,  shot  across  the  heavens 
in  directions  by  which  each  frequently  intersected  the  course  of  the 
other.  Their  appearance,  it  is  said,  was  similar  to  that  of  threads  inter- 
woven, and  as  large  as  a  bowl. 

The  Egyptians  represent  the  moon  by  the  head  of  a  dog,  with  which 


o 

H 

< 
w 


;:q  £ 


00  fC 


0)  3  o 


.-(DO 


■1} 

I  •* 

I  ^ 

Ph 

B  2 

O  5 

K  M 

►^  0) 


RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  233 

animal  it  is  said  to  possess  a  certain  sympathy,  especially  at  the  time  of 
its  conjunction  with  the  sun.  The  Chinese  attribute  an  eclipse  to  the 
circumstance  of  a  dog  eating  part  of  the  sun  or  moon;  and  from  this 
superstitious  impression,  whenever  an  eclipse  takes  place,  loud  noises 
are  made  by  the  people  with  gongs,  drums  and  other  noisy  instruments 
to  frighten  away  the  supposed  monster.  The  Chinese  term  for  eclipse — 
"eaten  sun  or  moon" — evinces  the  superstitious  notions  prevalent  re- 
specting the  phenomena  of  the  heavens  when  this  term  originated. 

Although  there  is  no  weekly  period  of  worship  known  to  the  Chinese, 
they  have  stated  holidays  in  commemoration  of  traditional  customs,  the 
great  clianges  of  nature,  fabled  heroes  of  antiquity,  the  interment  of 
their  dead,  in  addition  to  stated  seasons  consecrated  to  the  worship  of 
divinities,  which  are  of  all  degrees  of  rank,  from  the  originator  of  the 
universe  to  the  god  of  the  pigstye. 

New  Year's  day,  which  is  the  first  day  of  the  moon,  about  the  middle 
of  our  February,  is  esteemed  of  much  importance  with  the  Chinese  as  a 
day  of  feasting,  mutual  congratulations,  and  worship  of  deities.  Crowds 
of  people  repair  to  the  different  temples  early  in  the  morning,  and  pre- 
sent their  offerings.  Candles  are  lighted  in  the  temples,  and  if  the 
people  succeed  in  carrying  them  home  lighted,  they  are  assured  of  a 
happy  and  prosperous  year.  If  by  any  accident  they  lose  the  light  on  the 
way,  however  frequently,  they  return  to  the  temple  and  persevere  in 
lighting  it  until  they  finally  carry  the  candle  home  burning. 

The  Chinese  are  greatly  addicted  to  times  and  seasons.  So  much  is 
the  commencement  of  any  season  honored,  that  some  deem  it  unlucky 
to  offer  thanksgivings  for  recovery  from  sickness  near  the  close  of  the 
month,  and  prefer  waiting  until  the  beginning  of  the  next  moon,  before 
they  dedicate  their  pious  offerings  for  convalescence. 

Great  attention  is  paid  to  dreams,  which  the  Chinese  profess  to 
interpret,  from  their  connection  with  astrology,  in  accordance  with  the 
following  passage:  "By  the  sun,  moon,  stars  and  hours,  divine  the 
felicitous  or  infelicitous  import  of  the  six  dreams,  which  are,  a  correct 
dream,  an  alarming  dream,  a  thinking  dream,  one  that  resembles 
rational  thoughts,  a  waking  dream,  a  joyful  dream,  and  a  fearful  or 
perturbed  dream."  Those  dreams,  however,  which  come  under  the  rules 
of  divination  are  reduced  to  three  classes :  "Such  as  arise  from  some  ap- 
parent cause,  are  strange  and  monstrous,  and  beyond  all  that  had  been 
anticipated." 


234  RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

That  a  people  like  the  Chinese,  who  are  avowedly  in  close  intercourse 
with  the  shades  of  deceased  human  beings,  should  refer  the  solution  of 
their  doubts  to  departed  sages,  and  other  deified  mortals,  affords  no 
cause  for  surprise.  One  method  of  seeking  supernatural  counsel  is  to 
suspend  over  a  quantity  of  sand  a  pencil  or  reed  which,  under  the 
guidance  of  some  invisible  being,  forms  symbols  containing  answers  to 
questions  proposed  by  the  applicant.  The  government,  however,  seri- 
ously discourages  this  practice. 

Not  many  years  ago,  a  deposed  civilian  was  condemned  to  death  for 
publishing  an  answer  alleged  to  have  been  received  in  this  way  from 
Confucius,  the  purport  of  which  was  that  the  emperor  of  China,  discon- 
tinuing his  annual  visits  to  the  tombs  of  his  ancestors,  should  perform 
the  necessary  ceremonies  of  worship  by  deputy;  "and  that  a  deified  war- 
rior of  the  Han  dynasty,  who  is  generall}^  worshipped  by  the  military, 
and  highly  honored  by  the  reigning  family,  should  be  deprived  of  the 
title  of  emperor.  These  sentiments  were  declared  to  indicate  the  most 
daring  impiety. 

The  Imperial  Board  of  Astronomers  so  far  gives  its  sanction  to  in- 
quisitorial astrology  as  to  publish  annually  an  almanac,  in  which  are 
given  the  lucky  and  unlucky  days  throughout  the  year,  and  the  kind 
of  business  which  may  be  undertaken  with  advantage  on  those  days 
which  are  described  as  luckj'-.  For  instance,  the  first  day  of  the  first 
month  is  appropriate  for  sacrificing,  beginning  to  learn,  and  bathing. 
The  second  is  an  unlucky  day,  and  nothing  of  importance  should  be  done 
upon  it.  The  third,  on  the  other  hand,  is  suitable  for  meeting  friends, 
marrying,  asking  names,  cutting  out  clothes,  putting  up  pillars,  trad- 
ing, opening  granaries  and  burying.  The  fourth  is  lucky  for  cutting  toe 
and  finger  nails,  shaving  the  head,  sending  for  doctors,  taking  medicine, 
receiving  appointments,  entering  on  official  posts,  starting  on  journeys, 
etc. 

And  just  as  certain  doings  are  appropriate  to  certain  lucky  days,  so 
other  specific  undertakings  should  on  no  account  be  begun  on  such  days 
which  may  not  be  otherwise  unlucky.  The  prognostics  for  each  day  are 
carefully  set  out,  and  are  eagerly  studied  by  the  educated  among  the 
people.  Those  who  have  not  this  invaluable  source  of  information  readj^ 
at  hand  have  recourse  to  the  professional  fortune  tellers,  of  whom 
there  is  no  lack  in  every  city  in  the  empire.  Some  of  these  mystery  men 
occupy  shops,  but  a  great  majority  of  them  are  possessed  of  only  a  small 


RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  235 

portable  table  and  the  usual  stock  in  trade  of  their  calling,  and  with 
these  they  daily  establish  themselves  in  the  outer  courtyards  of  much 
frequented  temples,  or  by  the  sides  of  crowded  thoroughfares. 

Their  modes  of  procedure  are  various.  The  most  ancient  and  ap- 
proved methods  of  divining  the  future,  and  reading  the  will  of  the  gods, 
are  by  means  of  the  Kwei,  or  Tortoise,  the  She,  or  Millfoil,  and  the  Sha, 
or  a  kind  of  Mayweed.  The  questions  put  through  the  instrumentality 
of  these  media  are  as  multifarious  as  are  the  wants  of  man.  Whether 
the  enquirer  should  embark  in  trade  or  no,  whether  he  will  be  able  to 
catch  the  thieves  who  have  left  him  destitute,  whether  he  should  follow 
the  bent  of  his  wishes  in  some  matter  or  not,  whether  he  should  take 
office,  whether  he  should  live  in  his  father's  house,  whether  his  matri- 
monial project  will  turn  out  favorably  or  not,  whether  he  will  gather  in 
good  crops  or  bad,  whether  disease  will  be  rife,  whether  war  be  at  hand ; 
these  and  a  host  of  other  questions,  when  incense  has  been  duly  burnt, 
and  prayers  offered  to  the  god,  find  their  answers  in  the  attitude  of  the 
divining  tortoise.  The  direction  of  the  animal's  gaze,  the  extent  to 
which  he  stretches  his  neck,  the  attitudes  which  he  assumes  with 
his  feet  and  toes,  and  other  indications  of  the  same  kind,  serve  to  guide 
the  fortune-teller  to  sure  and  ready  answers  to  any  question  that  he  may 
be  asked. 

Not  less  ancient  is  the  system  of  enquiring  into  the  future  by  means 
of  stalks  of  Millfoil.  This  process  is  complicated  by  an  application  of 
the  lots  to  the  diagrams  of  Fuh-he,  in  connection  with  which,  by  ob- 
serving the  various  combinations  of  whole  and  parts  of  lines  which  they 
form  when  cast  from  the  hand,  the  diviner  finds  as  certain  a  response  as 
in  the  attitude  of  the  tortoise.  The  Mayweed  is  used  in  the  same  way, 
but  has  especial  efficacy  attached  to  it  as  coming  from  the  grave  of  Con- 
fucius. The  stalks  from  the  shrubs  growing  around  the  tomb  of  the  Sage 
are  gathered  and  made  up  into  parcels  of  sixty-four,  the  number  of 
Fuh-he's  diagrams,  and  are  sold  for  divinatory  purposes. 

The  following  description  of  one  of  the  many  modes  in  vogue  of  in- 
terviewing departed  shades  is  translated  from  a  work  describing  vari- 
ous customs  of  the  people  of  the  Chinese  empire: 

"When  the  people  of  Tse  are  sick,  females  have  recourse  to  divina- 
tion of  spirits.  The  ceremony  is  performed  by  a  venerable  sorceress, 
who,  beating  an  iron  drum  covered  at  one  end  with  leather,  and  with  her 
garments  tucked  up,  makes  a  variety  of  postures  called  dancing  to  the 


236  RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

gods.  But  this  ceremony,  though  general,  is  most  frequent  in  respect- 
able families,  where  the  younger  married  women  perform  it  by  observ- 
ing the  following  rites:  A  wooden  frame  bearing  flesh  and  goblets  filled 
with  wine  is  placed  on  a  table  in  the  hall,  together  with  candles  burning 
to  make  the  room  as  light  as  day.  The  female  binds  up  her  short  silk 
petticoat,  bends  one  foot,  and  makes  the  figure  of  the  Shang  sheep  dance. 
Two  men  support  her,  taking  hold  of  each  arm.  She  talks  incessantly, 
and  minutely  repeats  things  over  and  over,  as  if  singing  songs,  or  offer- 
ing supplicatory  forms  of  prayers,  with  different  and  irregular  intona- 
tions. 

"Many  drums  strike  up  in  the  house,  which  assail  the  ears  like  thun- 
der. The  sides  of  her  mouth  open  and  shut  during  this  confused  sound 
of  the  drums,  and  the  noise  makes  it  almost  impossible  to  distinguish 
the  words  she  utters.  Now  her  head  hangs  down,  and  her  eyes  roll 
about  obliquely  from  side  to  side.  While  standing  she  must  be  sup- 
ported by  a  person  on  either  side;  the  moment  support  fails,  she  falls 
prostrate  to  the  ground.  Then  suddenly  stretching  forth  her  neck,  she 
takes  a  great  leap  from  the  floor.  Immediately  all  the  females,  petrified 
with  horror,  cry  out,  'Our  ancestor  is  come  to  partake  of  the  feast.'  The 
lights  are  extinguished,  the  blackness  of  Hades  reigns  within  and  with- 
out; the  spectators  sob  and  tremble;  no  one  presumes  to  speak;  not  a 
sound  is  heard  during  the  darkness.  In  the  time  a  meal  may  be  eaten, 
the  female,  with  a  stern  voice,  calls  upon  relations  and  kindred,  old  and 
young,  to  light  the  candles ;  she  bends  forward  to  solve  doubts,  and  avert 
calamities;  shows  all  the  vessels  on  the  tables  to  be  empty.  Her  friends 
observe  her  countenance,  to  see  whether  it  be  smiling  or  sorrowful,  and 
solemnly  propound  a  series  of  questions,  to  which  she  returns  answers 
with  the  accuracy  of  an  echo." 

"A  certain  cloth  merchant  traveling  on  the  borders  of  the  district 
Tsing,  unexpectedly  approached  a  temple  in  a  state  of  dilapidation. 
Whilst  deeply  lamenting  its  affecting  circumstances,  a  priest  came  and 
stood  by  his  side,  and  thus  accosted  him:  'If  you  this  moment  exercise 
faith,  in  a  short  time  the  mountain  you  now  see  will  rend  asunder,  and 
discover  the  splendor  of  Buddha's  countenance.'  The  stranger,  with  a 
noble  elevation  of  mind,  undertook  the  responsibility.  The  priest  re- 
joiced, invited  his  guest  to  enter  the  monastery  and  behaved  to  him  with 
the  greatest  politeness.  Having  introduced  his  friend  to  the  different 
suites  of  apartments  in  the  upper  and  lower  stories  of  the  temple,  the 


RELIGIONS  OF  TEE  CHINESE  EMPlM.  237 

priest  importuned  him  for  a  subscription  towards  the  repairs  of  the  edi- 
fice. The  stranger  refused,  on  account  of  his  poverty.  The  priest  in- 
sisted on  his  compliance  with  menacing  language  and  an  angry  counte- 
nance. 

"The  stranger  was  alarmed  and  asked  permission  to  empty  his  purse, 
the  entire  contents  of  which  he  gave  to  the  priest,  and  was  about  to  take 
his  departure.  The  priest  stopped  him  and  said :  'Though  you  gave  us 
the  whole  of  your  property,  sir,  this  is  not  what  we  want.  If  you  would 
in  good  earnest  save  your  mother  from  purgatory,  there  is  nothing  like 
your  preceding  her  to  Hades,'  and  immediately  the  priest  seized  a  knife. 
The  stranger  implored  mercy.  The  priest  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to 
him ;  at  length  he  acceded  to  his  importunity,  and  forced  him  into  a  dark 
room,  where  he  tyrannically  imprisoned  him. 

^'It  happened  that,  from  an  embankment  rising  from  the  sea,  and 
some  part  of  the  wall  having  fallen  down,  a  young  military  officer 
passing  outside  the  temple  saw  at  a  distance  a  young  girl  in  red 
apparel  enter  the  priest's  cottage.  His  suspicions  were  excited;  he 
alighted  from  his  horse,  entered  the  temple,  and  searched  carefully  its 
front  and  back  apartments,  but  without  finding  anything  to  justify  his 
suspicions,  until  he  came  to  a  dark  chamber  with  two  folding  doors, 
bolted,  and  strictly  guarded,  which  the  priest  would  not  open,  from  a 
pretended  fear  of  fairies  and  monsters.  The  officer  was  enraged,  broke 
down  the  bars  and  went  into  the  room,  where  he  saw  a  stranger  sus- 
X)ended  from  a  beam  by  his  neck.  He  cut  him  down,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  individual  revived. 

"Investigating  further  into  the  circumstances,  he  examined  the  priest 
by  torture,  to  ascertain  where  the  young  woman  was.  It  was  discovered 
that  she  was  a  crow,  which  the  divine  Buddha  had  manifestly  trans- 
formed into  a  young  female  to  attract  the  officer's  attention. 

"The  priest  was  slain,  and  the  stranger's  property  restored  to  him 
again.  The  grateful  merchant  joined  in  a  public  subscription  for  the 
repair  of  the  temple,  in  which  a  cloud  of  incense  evermore  ascended,  and 
a  long  course  of  filial  piety  with  uncorrupted  generosity  was  faithfully 
preserved.    The  origin  of  this  statement  is  fully  and  accurately  known." 

Such  tales  as  these  are  circulated  partly  to  ridicule  Buddhism 
through  its  agents,  and  partly  to  show  how  suffering  innocence  is  often 
rewarded,  and  its  oppressors  punished,  even  in  life;  while  some  counte- 


P.S8  EELlGIONS  OF  THt)  CHINESE  EMPIEE. 

nance  is  given  to  the  superstitious  notion  that  Buddha  manifests  his 
benevolence  by  miraculous  interventions  in  favor  of  the  distressed. 

Among  the  many  classes  of  professional  fortune-tellers  in  China,  one 
of  the  most  popular  is  that  which  uses  the  inquirer's  own  person  to  sup- 
ply the  materials  from  which  the  horoscope  is  cast.  Not  only  are  the 
face  and  head,  as  among  ourselves,  studied  to  afford  answers  as  to  the 
mental  capacity  and  leading  characteristics  of  the  seeker  for  knowledge, 
but  from  the  features  of  the  whole  body  are  deduced  symptoms  of  the 
destiny  of  the  individual,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  his  disposition. 

Masters  of  this  art  proclaim  their  profession  to  passers-by  by  a  sign 
bearing  representations  of  the  human  countenance,  which  may  be  seen 
suspended  over  stalls  in  the  streets  of  the  cities.  Books  for  their  guid- 
ance are  numerous,  and  are  minut:e  in  their  details.  The  following 
gleanings  have  been  gathered  from  one  of  the  best  known  native  work» 
on  this  curious  subject: 

The  face  of  a  man  favored  by  fortune  should  be  long  and  square; 
but  for  a  man  with  a  face  pointed  at  each  end  like  a  date  stone,  poverty 
is  in  store.  High  cheek  bones  are  a  sign  of  a  cruel  disposition,  and  a 
matron  so  distinguished  is  likely  to  prove  a  husband-killing  wife.  A 
broad  chin  belongs  to  a  man  born  to  wealth,  and  a  pointed  chin  to  a 
man  whose  lot  it  is  to  be  poor.  A  man  whose  jawbone  is  so  wide  as  to 
be  seen  from,  behind  the  ears  has  a  heart  full  af  poison.  The  possessor 
of  high  forehead  will  be  held  in  esteem,  and  will  live  to  an  old  age; 
but  he  whose  nose  is  long  is  a  man  devoid  of  a  fixed  purpose.  If  you 
cannot  see  the  ears  of  a  man  when  meeting  him  face  to  face,  ask  who  he 
is,  for  he  is  a  somebody.  If  you  cannot  see  the  jawb'ones  of  a  man  under 
like  circumstances,  ask  where  he  comes  from,  that  you  may  avoid  him. 

A  large  face  and  a  small  body  are  signs  of  happiness,' and  the  re- 
verse is  an  omen  of  evil.  He  who  has  no  vestige  of  hair  on  the  bone 
above  the  neck  is  unrighteous,  and  will  be  destitute  of  relations.  A 
man  who  does  not  move  his  head  when  walking,  nor  bend  it  when  sit- 
ting, will  come  to  poverty,  and  the  possessor  of  a  small  head  and  long 
hair  will  leave  no  traces  behind  him.  A  man  with  a  narrow  head  and 
long  hair  will  encounter  diflSculties,  and  death  and  starvation  will  over- 
take him  whose  hair  grows  long  down  to  his  ears.  He  who^ie  hair  turns 
white  at  an  early  age  will  not  be  fortunate;  but  for  him  whose  hair  after 
turning  white  should  recover  its  original  color,  great  happiness  is  in 
store. 


RELIGIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  239 

History  asserts  that  in  antiquity  no  instance  was  known  of  a  man 
with  thick  hair  becoming  prime  minister.  Women  with  ultra-marine 
colored  hair,  like  Buddha's,  will  marry  men  of  distinction,  and  she  who 
is  the  owner  of  glistening  hair  and  a  round  and  sleek  face  will  enter  the 
emperor's  harem.  People  with  dimples,  both  men  and  women,  will 
marry  more  than  once.  Long  hair  in  the  eyebrows  indicates  long  life, 
but  thick  and  coarse  eyebrows  mean  poverty;  while  a  man  who  has  the 
misfortune  to  have  eyebrows  which  are  unruly  as  well  as  coarse  is  a 
man  not  to  be  spoken  of.  The  possessor  of  eyebrows  widely  separated 
will  be  rich  and  prosperous;  but  if  they  be  thin  and  yellow  in  color, 
though  he  may  be  fortunate  at  first,  misfortune  is  sure  to  overtake  him. 

The  eyes,  we  are  told,  are  to  the  body  what  the  sun  and  moon  are  to 
the  ^arth.  They  are  also  the  resting-places  of  wandering  spirits.  Long, 
deep  and  brilliant  eyes  belong  to  men  of  consideration.  A  woman  with 
much  white  in  her  eyes  will  probably  murder  her  husband,  and  a  boy  so 
disfigured  will  be  stupid.  Noses  are  also  important  features,  and  are 
distinguished  as  cows'  noses,  monkeys'  noses,  dogs'  noses,  hawks'  noses, 
etc.  A  man  with  a  dog's  nose  will  live  long,  and  the  marrow  of  the 
heart  of  the  man  whose  nose  is  like  a  hawk's  beak  will  be  evil.  The 
growth  of  the  hair  inside  the  ear  holds  out  a  promise  of  longevity,  and 
the  ears  broad  and  large  belong  to  men  of  ability  and  wealth. 

The  mouth  is  "the  door  of  the  heart,  and  out  of  it  proceed  blessings 
and  cursings ;"  its  shape,  therefore,  is  an  important  indicator  of  the 
individual.  A  man  with  a  mouth  shaped  like  a  horned  bow  will  enjoy 
the  sweets  of  office,  and  he  who  is  blessed  with  a.  broad  and  full  mouth 
will  attain  to  riches  and  honor.  The  possessor  of  an  even-shaped  mouth 
with  lips  which  are  neither  thick  nor  thin,  will  have  through  life  enough 
to  eat  and  drink,  but  a  man  with  a  horse's  mouth  will  die  of  stai-vation. 
And  among  the  many  animal-like  mouths,  possessing  peculiar  charac- 
teristics, is  noted  that  like  a  mouse's,  which,  we  are  told,  belongs  to  an 
envious  and  jealous  man,  and  is  the  channel  for  vilifying  words  which 
scorch  like  fire. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  points  of  feature  particularly  observed  by 
Chinese  physiognomists.  The  art  at  the  present  day  is  a  very  popular 
one,  and  though  it  cannot  claim  the  sanction  of  antiquity  which  belongs 
to  the  practice  of  divination  by  the  Tortoise  and  the  Millfoil,  it  can  boast 
of  an  ancestry  which,  to  us,  seems  far-reaching.  We  read,  for  example,  in 
history,  that  on  one  occasion,  KaiOu-tsoo,  the  first  emperor  of  the  Han 


240  RELIGIONS  OF  TEE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

dynasty  (B.  C.  206-25  A.  D.),  when  a  young  man,  and  before  he  had  at- 
tained to  any  eminence,  was  met  on  the  road  by  a  physiognomist,  who 
fell  on  his  knees  before  him  and  thus  addressed  him :  "I  see  by  the  ex- 
pression of  your  features  that  you  are  destined  to  ascend  the  throne,  and 
I  offer  you  in  anticipation  the  tribute  of  respect  that  a  subject  owes  to 
his  sovereign.  I  have  a  daughter,  the  fairest  and  the  wisest  in  the 
empire;  take  her  as  your  wife."  The  man's  prescience  was  justified  by 
the  event,  and  had  its  reward.  Kaou-tsoo  rapidly  acquired  fame,  and 
before  long  the  prophet's  daughter  was  proclaimed  empress. 

Clairvoyance,  mesmerism,  and  palmistry  are  commonly  practiced  to 
discover  that  which  is  beyond  the  reach  of  man's  knowledge,  and,  in 
fact,  it  may  be  said,  that  there  is  no  magical  art  which  is  not  known  to 
the  grossly  superstitious  people  of  China. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA. 

Origin  of  Music — Different  Kinds  of  Drums— Musical  Bells,  and  the  Chinese  Mode  of  Using 
Them — The  Big  Bell  of  Peking — Gong  Fire  Alarms — The  Chinese  Organ — Music  Held  in 
High  Esteem  in  China — The  Chinese  Drama — Ancient  Pantomimes — Domestic  Plays  the 
Most  Popular  with  the  People — Lack  of  Scenic  Accessories — The  Chinese  as  Artists — 
Architecture — The  Homes  of  the  People — How  They  Are  Furnished— Beauty  of  the 
Temples. 

nUSIO  is  one  of  the  arts  which  is  said  to  have  been  invented  by 
the  Emperor  Fuh-he  (B.C.  2852-2837).  He  it  was,  we  are  told, 
who  made  the  first  She,  a  sort  of  lute.  At  first  this  instru- 
ment had  twenty-five  strings,  but,  according  to  the  legend,  a 
damsel  was  one  day  playing  on  it  before  the  Etnperor  Hwang-te,  who 
became  so  affected  to  melancholy  by  the  music,  that  he  ordered  that, 
from  that  time,  the  number  of  the  strings  should  be  reduced  one-half. 
To  Fuh-he  belongs  also  the  credit  of  being  the  inventor  of  the  K'in,  an- 
other form  of  lute,  and  which  stands  in  popular  estimation  at  the  head 
of  Chinese  instruments.  The  name  which  was  originally  given  it  of 
Lung  K'in  points  to  the  fact,  which  we  have  abundant  evidence  to  prove, 
that  the  aborigines  of  China  were  musicians  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Chinese.  The  Lung  were  a  powerful  tribe  occupying  a  portion  of  south- 
western China,  and  judging  from  the  name,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  the  knowledge  of  the  K'in  was  first  brought  to  the  court  of  Fuh-he 
by  men  of  that  race. 

The  K'in  was  known  also  among  the  ancients  as  "a  reminder  of  dis- 
tant affairs,"  which  would  seem  to  indicate  a  geographically  remote 
origin  for  it.  History  tells  us  further  that,  during  this  reign,  men  of 
the  greater  Pung  (Fung)  tribe,  which  at  that  time  occupied  a  large 
tract  of  country  south  of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  arrived  at  court  and  made 
music. 

Stringed  and  reed  instruments,  such  as  are  used  by  the  aboriginal 
tribes  of  China  at  the  present  day,  were  the  first  known.  Next  in  order, 
probably,  came  drums,  which  seem,  in  the  first  instance,  to  have  been 
used  to  excite  warriors  in  the  battlefield  to  deeds  of  prowess.    Of  these 

241 


242  AltT,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA. 

there  are  eight  kinds,  distinguished  by  names  indicating  their  size  and 
use.  Stone  seems  also  to  have  preceded  metal  as  a  musical  substance. 
In  the  earliest  classics  we  have  mention  of  musical  stones,  which  were 
sixteen  in  number,  and  were  hung  from  a  frame  by  cords.  They  were 
cut  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a  carpenter^s  square,  one  side  being  twice 
the  length  of  the  other.  The  stones  played  upon  by  the  emperors  are 
said  to  have  been  of  jade,  the  use  of  which,  for  this  purpose,  was  for- 
bidden to  subjects. 

In  most  parts  of  the  world  the  trumpet  has  held  the  first  place 
among  metal  instruments,  but  in  China  the  bell  had  the  priority,  and  at 
the  present  day  it  still  holds  its  own  against  the  louder  tongued  horn, 
which  is  used  only  as  a  military  call,  and  in  processions.  Bells  were 
originally  made  of  six  parts  of  copper  to  one  of  tin.  Tongues  were  never 
used,  but  sound  was  emitted  by  striking  the  rim  with  a  stick,  or,  in  after- 
times,  the  knobs  with  which  the  bell  was  studded,  and  which  were  so 
arranged  as  to  give  out  the  different  musical  notes  when  struck.  The 
form  of  the  most  ancient  bells  was  square,  but  in  subsequent  ages  they 
assumed  the  round  shape,  and  at  the  present  day  are  universally  so 
made. 

Bells  are  moulded  in  every  size,  from  the  little  Fung  ling,  or  "Wind- 
bell,"  which  swings  on  the  eaves  of  pagodas,  to  the  huge  bells  which 
hang  in  some  of  the  most  notable  temples.  One  of  the  largest  of  these 
is  in  a  temple  in  Peking,  and  forms  a  wonderful  example  of  the 
mechanical  ingenuity  of  the  Chinese.  It  is  about  fifteen  feet  in  diameter, 
twenty  feet  in  height,  and  weighs  about  fifty-three  tons.  The  lower  rim 
is  nearly  a  foot  thick,  and  the  whole  bell  is  covered  inside  and  out  with 
the  Chinese  text  of  a  long  Buddhist  liturgical  work.  This  bell  is  one  of 
a  set  of  five  which  were  cast  by  order  of  the  Emperor  Yung-loh  (A.  D. 
1403-1425).  One  of  its  companions  hangs  in  the  Drum-tower  at  Peking, 
and,  "in  the  stillness  of  the  midnight  hour,  its  deep  mellow  tone  is  heard 
at  four  miles  distance  throughout  Peking  as  it  strikes  the  watch." 

As  musical  instruments  bells  are  principally  used  at  religious  serv- 
ices and  in  processions.  In  ancient  times  they  seem  to  have  been  gen- 
erally sounded  with  drums.  In  the  She  king  we  have  constant  mention 
of  bells  and  drums  being  used  on  the  occasions  of  bringing  home  brides, 
or  in  royal  processions.  Sometimes  we  hear  of  them  concerted  with 
other  instruments,  as  when  speaking  of  the  expedition  of  King  Yew  to 
the  Hwai  the  poet  says: 


ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA.  U^ 

Kin  kin  peal  the  bells,  peal  on, 

And  the  lutes  in  the  concert  we  hear. 
Deep  breathes  the  organ  tone; 

Sounding  stones  join  their  notes,  rich  and  clear. 
The  while  through  the  vessel  there  ring 

The  Ya  and  the  Nan  which  they  sing, 
And  the  dancers  with  flutes  now  appear. 

A  more  popular  instrument  than  the  bell  is  the  gong,  of  which  three 
kinds  are  in  common  use.  The  Temple  gong,  which,  as  its  name  implies, 
is  used  in  temples;  the  Suchau  gong,  which  is  shaped  "like  a  boiler;"  and 
the  Watch  gong,  which  is  a.  small  kind  used  to  strike  the  watches.  At 
religious  services,  on  occasions  of  ceremony  and  at  theatrical  perform- 
ances, the  gong  bears  a  conspicuous  part.  But  though  considered  an 
element  of  harmony  by  men,  its  sound  strikes  terror  to  evil  spirits,  and 
it  is  consequently  used  with  pealing  effect  on  all  occasions  when  it  is 
considered  advisable  to  get  rid  of  evil  influences.  When  a  vessel  puts 
out  to  sea,  when  it  returns  to  harbor,  when  a.  house  is  supposed  to  be 
haunted,  or  when  any  unnatural  phenomena  occur,  such  as  an  eclipse, 
the  gongs  are  vigorously  sounded,  to  dispel  the  malign  influences  which 
are  supposed  to  be  present. 

On  the  outbreak  of  a  fire  gongs  are  used  as  signals,  first  of  all  to 
indicate  what  quarter  of  the  town  is  threatened;  next,  by  the  rapidity  of 
the  beats,  to  make  known  the  progress  and  fierceness  of  the  fire,  and 
again,  by  tolling,  to  show  that  the  danger  is  over. 

Flutes,  fifes,  clarionets  and  conch  shells,  are,  with  the  "reed  organ," 
the  commonest  wind  instruments.  This  last  is  made  with  a  gourd,  into 
the  upper  surface  of  which  nineteen  reed  tubes  are  inserted.  These 
reeds  have  holes  near  the  base  to  prevent  them  emitting  sounds,  until 
stopped  by  the  performer.  The  mouth-piece,  which  is  not  unlike  the 
spout  of  a  kettle,  is  inserted  in  the  side  of  the  gourd,  and  the  instrument 
is  played  either  by  drawing  in  the  breath  or  blowing. 

But  the  favorite  musical  instruments  of  the  Chinese  are  those  made 
with  strings.  The  She  and  the  K'in,  of  which  mention  has  already  been 
made,  are  the  chief  among  these.  "The  K'in,"  says  Dr.  Wells  Williams 
in  his  "China,"  "is  very  ancient,  and  derives  its  name  from  the  word 
K'in,  to  prohibit,  'because  it  restrains  and  checks  all  evil  passions,  and 
corrects  the  human  heart.'  It  is  a  board  about  four  feet  in  length  and 
eighteen  inches  wide,  convex  above  and  flat  beneath,  where  are  two 


244  ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA. 

holes  opening  into  hollows.  There  are  seven  strings  of  silk,  which  pass 
over  a  bridge  near  the  wide  end,  through  the  board,  and  are  tightened 
by  nuts  beneath ;  they  are  secured  on  two  pegs  at  the  smaller  end.  The 
sounding  board  is  divided  by  two  thirteen  studs,  so  placed  that  the 
length  of  the  strings  is  divided,  first  into  two  equal  parts,  then  into 
three,  etc.,  up  to  eight,  with  the  omission  of  the  seventh. 

"The  seven  strings  enclose  the  compass  of  the  ninth  or  two-fifths,  the 
middle  one  being  treated  like  A  ujDon  the  violin,  viz.,  as  a  middle  string, 
and  each  of  the  outer  ones  is  tuned  a  fifth  from  it.  This  interval  is 
treated  like  our  octave  in  the  violin,  for  the  compass  of  the  K'in  is  made 
up  of  fifths.  Each  of  the  outer  strings  is  tuned  a  fourth  from  the  alter- 
nate string  within  the  system,  so  that  there  is  a  major  tone,  an  interval 
tone  less  than  a  minor  third,  and  a  major  tone  in  the  fifth.  The  Chinese 
leave  the  interval  entire,  and  skip  the  half  tone,  while  we  divide  it  into 
two  unequal  parts. 

"It  will,  therefore,  readily  appear,  that  the  mode  or  character  of 
the  music  of  the  K'in  must  be  very  different  from  that  of  Western  instru- 
ments, so  that  none  of  them  can  exactly  do  justice  to  the  Chinese  airs. 
One  of  the  peculiarities  of  performing  on  the  lute,  is  sliding  the  left- 
hand  fingers  along  the  string,  and  the  trilling  and  other  evolutions  they 
are  made  to  execute." 

Music  has  at  all  times  held  an  important  part  in  the  political  system 
of  the  Chinese.  Its  influence  for  good  or  evil  on  the  people  is  regarded 
as  potent,  and,  according  to  a  celebrated  saying  of  Confucius,  it  gives 
the  finish  to  the  character  which  has  first  been  established  by  the  rules 
of  propriety.  So  marked  has  the  impression  produced  by  it  been  held  to 
be,  that  Confucius,  when  on  his  way  to  Ts'e,  recognized,  in  the  gait  and 
manner  of  a  boy  whom  he  met  carrying  a  pitcher,  the  influence  of  the 
Shaou  music,  and  hurried  on  to  the  capital  of  the  state  that  he  might 
enjoy  its  excellencies  to  perfection.  On  another  occasion,  we  are  told, 
that  he  perceived  with  delight,  in  the  sound  of  stringed  instruments  and 
the  singing  at  Woo-shing,  the  effect  produced  on  a  people  turbulent  by 
nature,  by  the  rule  of  his  disciple,  Tsze-yew. 

But  in  this,  as  in  other  matters,  Confucius  only  reproduced  the  opin- 
ions of  those  who  had  gone  before  him,  and  from  the  time  that  Ling-lun 
made  the  first  pan-pipe,  the  influence  of  music  on  morals  and  politics 
has  been  an  established  creed  among  the  Chinese.  The  purity  of  the 
prevailing  music  became  the  test  of  the  virtues  of  the  sovereign,  and 


ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA.  245 

one  of  the  gravest  charges  brought  against  the  dissolute  Chow  Sin,  the 
last  emperor  of  the  Yin  dynasty  (B.  C.  1154-1122),  was  that,  to  gratify 
his  consort,  the  notoriously  vicious  T'an-ke,  he  substituted  licentious 
airs  for  the  chaste  music  of  his  ancestors.  Time  has  done  little  to  change 
the  opinions  of  the  Chinese  on  this  subject,  and  at  the  present  day  a  care- 
ful watch  is  kept  over  the  efforts  of  composers  by  the  Imperial  Board 
of  Music,  whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  alive  the  music  of  the  ancients,  and 
to  suppress  all  compositions  which  are  not  in  harmony  with  it. 

The  Cliinese  drama  arose  from  the  union  of  the  arts  of  song  and 
dance.  To  the  ballets  and  pantomimes  out  of  which  it  developed  itself, 
and  which  have  continued  to  flourish  by  the  side  of  its  more  advanced 
forms,  the  Chinese  ascribe  a  primitive  antiquity  of  origin;  many  of  them 
orginally  had  a  symbolical  reference  to  such  subjects  as  the  harvest  and 
war  and  peace.  A  very  ancient  pantomime  is  said  to  have  symbolized 
the  conquest  of  China  by  Woo-Wang;  others  were  of  a  humbler,  and 
often  of  a  very  obscure  character. 

As  told  in  a  previous  chapter,  some  traditions  declare  the  drama 
to  have  been  invented  during  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Wan-te,  who 
ruled  over  the  central  and  northern  portion  of  China  B.  C.  220,  but  the 
honor  is  also  ascribed  to  the  Emperor  Heuen-tsang  (720  A.  D.),  who  is 
likewise  remembered  as  a  radical  musical  reformer.  Pantomimes  hence- 
forth fell  into  disrepute;  and  the  history  of  the  Chinese  drama  from  this 
date  is  divided,  with  an  accuracy  we  cannot  profess  to  control,  into  four 
distinct  periods,  of  each  of  which  the  plays  composed  in  it  are  stated 
to  bear  the  manifest  impress. 

In  theory,  no  drama  could  be  more  consistently  elevated  in  purpose 
and  in  tone  than  the  Chinese.  Every  play,  we  learn,  should  have  both  a 
moral  and  a  meaning.  A  virtuous  aim  is  imposed  upon  Chinese 
dramatists  by  an  article  of  the  penal  code  of  the  empire;  and  those  who 
write  immoral  plays  are  to  expect  after  death  a  purgatory  which  will 
last  as  long  as  these  plays  continue  to  be  performed.  In  practice,  how- 
ever, the  Chinese  drama  falls  far  short  of  its  ideal;  indeed,  according  to  a 
native  critic,  among  ten  thousand  playwrights,  not  one  is  to  be  found  in- 
tent upon  perfecting  the  education  of  mankind  by  means  of  precept  and 
example. 

The  Chinese  are,  like  the  Hindus,  unacquainted  with  the  distinction 
between  tragedy  and  comedy;  they  classify  their  plays  according  to  sub- 
jects in  twelve  categories.    It  may  be  doubted  whether  what  is  supposed 


246  ABT,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA. 

to  be  the  highest  of  these  is  such  in  fact;  for  the  religious. element  in 
the  Chinese  drama  is  often  sheer  buffoonery.  Moreover,  Chinese  religious 
life  as  reflected  in  the  drama  seems  one  in  which  creed  elbows  creed, 
and  superstitions  are  welcomed,  whatever  their  origin. 

The  historical  drama  is  not  unknown  to  the  Chinese;  and  although 
a  law  prohibits  the  bringing  on  the  stage  of  "emperors,  empresses  and 
the  famous  princes,  ministers  and  generals  of  former  ages,"  no  such 
restriction  is  observed  in  practice. 

By  far  the  greater  number,  however,  of  the  Chinese  plays  accessible 
in  translations  belong  to  the  domestic  species,  and  to  that  sub-species 
which  may  be  called  the  criminal  drama.  Their  favorite  virtue  is  piety 
to  parents  and  parents-in-law;  the  favorite  interest  lies  in  the  discovery 
of  long-hidden  guilt,  and  in  the  vindication  of  persecuted  innocence.  In 
the  choice  and  elaboration  of  such  subjects  they  leave  little  to  be  desired 
by  the  most  ardent  devotees  of  the  literature  of  agony. 

Free  in  its  choice  of  themes,  the  Chinese  drama  is  likewise  remarkably 
unrestricted  in  its  range  of  characters.  Chinese  society,  it  is  well  known, 
is  not  based,  like  Indian,upon  the  principle  of  caste;  rank  is  in  China  de- 
termined by  office,  and  this  again  depends  on  the  result  of  examination. 
These  familiar  facts  are  constantly  brought  home  to  the  reader  of  Chinese 
plays.  The  Chwang-Yuen,  or  senior  classman,  on  the  list  of  licentiates, 
is  the  flower  of  Chinese  society,  and  the  hero  of  many  a  drama,  and  it  is 
a  proud  boast  that  for  years  "one's  ancestors  have  held  high  posts,  which 
they  owed  to  their  literary  successes.''  On  the  other  hand,  a  person  who 
has  failed  in  his  military  examination  becomes  as  if  by  a  natural  transi- 
tion, a  man-eating  monster.  But  of  mere  class  the  Chinese  drama  is  no 
respecter,  painting  with  noteworthy  freedom  the  virtue  and  the  vices 
of  every  phase  of  society. 

While  in  the  north  of  China  houses  are  temporarily  set  apart  for 
dramatic  performances,  in  the  south  these  are  usually  confined  to 
theaters  erected  in  the  streets.  Thus  scenic  decorations  of  any  impor- 
tance are  out  of  the  question  in  the  Chinese  theater.  The  costumes,  on 
the  other  hand,  are  often  magnificent ;  they  are  traditionally  those  worn 
before  the  seventeenth  century,  in  accordance  with  the  historical  color- 
ing in  most  of  the  plays.  The  actor's  profession  is  not  a  respectable  one 
in  China,  the  managers  being  in  the  habit  of  buying  children  from 
slaves  and  bringing  them  up  as  slaves  of  their  own. 

The  art  of  drawing  is  held  in  great  esteem  in  China,  and  the  works 


ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA.  247 

of  the  most  renowned  artists  are  eagerly  sought  after,  and  are  as  care- 
fully treasured  as  those  of  Raphael  or  Rubens  are  among  ourselves.  The 
art  claims  for  itself  a  great  antiquity,  and  as  is  the  case  with  some  other 
arts,  it  seems  to  have  had  its  origin  among  the  aborigines.  Fuh,  he,  who 
invented  the  celebrated  eight  diagrams,  made  drawings  and  plans,  we 
are  told,  in  imitation  of  the  records  he  found  at  the  Jung  river  in  Ho-nan, 
and  Hwang-te  is  said  to  have  obtained  a  likeness  of  Ts'ang  Hieh,  the 
inventor  of  writing,  from  the  Lo  river.  These  and  other  traditions 
appear  to  prove  that  the  inscriptions  drawn  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers 
by  the  aborigines  of  that  part  of  China,  served  not  only  as  materials  for 
the  formation  of  new  characters  by  the  Chinese,  but  also  as  patterns  for 
designs. 

From  that  beginning  the  art  of  drawing  grefw,  and  though  it  can- 
not be  said  that  the  Chinese  are  an  artistic  people,  it  is  equally  impos- 
sible to  deny  that  they  are  possessed  of  great  skill  in  producing  wonder- 
ful effects  with  a.  few  strokes  of  the  pencil.  They  have  never  under- 
stood perspective,  but  at  the  same  time  some  of  their  landscapes  are 
admirable  for  their  picturesqueness  and  for  their  lifelike  representa- 
tions of  nature.  Their  studies  of  trees,  boughs  and  flowers  are  exceed- 
ingly accurate  and  tasteful,  and  their  use  of  colors  is  highly  effective. 
But  after  all  there  is  a  sameness  in  their  drawings  which  suggests  that 
the  art  is  mechanical,  and  a  study  of  the  works  on  drawing  fully  con- 
firms the  suspicion.  In  these  we  find  detailed  directions  for  represent- 
ing every  kind  of  scenery  and  under  all  circumstances. 

In  all  such  works  mountains  and  streams  are  described  as  the  high- 
est objects  for  the  painter's  skill,  and  the  student  is  told  how  to  depict 
their  beauties  under  ev^ery  varying  circumstance  of  season  and  weather. 
The  ideal  mountain  should  have  a  cloud  encircling  its  "waist,"  which 
should  hide  from  view  a  part  of  the  stream  which  should  pour  over 
rocks  and  waterfalls  down  its  sides.  A  temple  or  house,  shaded  and 
half  concealed  by  a  grove,  should  nestle  in  its  embrace,  and  a  high 
bridge  should  span  the  neighboring  torrent,  over  which  a  winding  road, 
bordered  by  trees,  should  lead  around  the  mountain.  At  intervals  trav- 
elers should  be  seen  mounting  to  the  summit.  Three  sides  of  a  rock,  if 
possible,  should  be  shown,  and  water  should  appear  as  though  ruffled 
by  the  wind.  A  ford  is  a  fitting  adjunct  to  a  precipitous  bank,  and 
smoke  and  trees  add  to  the  picturesqueness  of  a  stretch  of  water.  A 
large  sheet  of  water'should  always  be  dotted  with  sails.    A  solitary  city 


248  ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA 

in  the  distance  and  a  market  town  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  may 
be  introduced  with  advantage. 

Houses  always  form  part  of  forest  scenery,  and  an  old  tree  with 
broken  and  twisted  roots  is  an  appropriate  finish  to  a  rocky  cliff.  The 
boughs  of  trees  having  leaves  should  be  supple,  but  if  bare  should  be 
stiff.  Pine  bark  should  always  be  drawn  as  fishes'  scales,  and  cedar 
bai'k  is  always,  it  should  be  remembered,  entwining.  The  branches  on 
the  left  side  of  a  tree  should  be  longer  than  those  on  the  right.  Such 
are  some  of  the  directions  given  for  landscape  drawing,  and  a  glance 
at  Chinese  pictures  of  scenery  is  enough  to  show  how  closely  the  rules 
of  the  text-books  are  followed. 

Writers  on  art  advise  artists,  before  beginning  to  paint  a  flower,  to 
examine  it  carefully  from  above,  so  as  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  its  every  aspect;  and  to  watch  the  shadow  cast  in  bright  moonlight 
by  a  bamboo  tree  on  a  white  wall.  The  different  aspects  of  the  clouds  in 
the  four  seasons  should  be  carefully  noted.  In  spring,  clouds  appear  in 
harmonious  concord,  in  summer  they  congregate  in  profusion,  in 
autumn  they  are  intermittent  and  light,  and  in  winter  they  are  dark 
and  cold. 

With  the  same  minuteness  every  branch  of  the  art  is  legislated  for, 
and  young  artists  desiring  to  make  themselves  proficient  in  any 
direction  will  find  full  instructions  in  the  manuals  published  for  their 
guidance.  Admirable,  however,  as  some  of  the  effects  produced  are,  the 
result  of  drawing  by  rule  is  to  produce  a  considerable  amount  of  purely 
mechanical  skill,  and  to  reduce  the  exercise  of  the  imagination  to  a  mini- 
mum. The  birds  and  flowers,  mountains  and  streams,  which  seem  to 
have  been  struck  off  in  a  few  lines  as  the  spirit  of  the  artist  moved  him, 
are  really  the  products  of  patient  and  repeated  imitation,  and  the  prob- 
ability is  that  the  artist  whose  birds  and  flowers  we  all  so  much  admire, 
would  be  quite  unable  to  draw  a  dog  or  a  house,  if  suddenly  called  upon 
to  do  so. 

The  books  enforce  the  doctrine  that  there  is  no  difference  between 
learning  to  write  and  learning  to  draw.  It  is  possible,  by  constant  appli- 
cation, to  learn  to  write  characters  correctly  and  elegantly,  and  the 
same  is  the  case  with  pictures.  This  is  not  art  of  a  high  order,  but  it 
produces  striking  and  well  arranged  effects.  So  skillful  was,  it  is  said, 
an  artist  of  the  third  century  in  representing  insects,  that  having  care- 
lesslv  added  the  form  of  a  fly  to  a  picture  he  had  painted  for  his  sov- 


ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA.  251 

ereign,  the  emperor,  on  receiving  the  painting,  raised  his  hand  to  brush 
the  insect  away. 

The  rules  which  are  laid  down  for  landscape  drawing  cannot,  of 
course,  apply  to  portrait  painting,  in  which  the  artist  has  to  follow  a 
fresh  model  in  every  picture;  and  for  this  reason  Chinese  portraits  are 
not  generally  successful.  Occasionally,  artists  have  arisen  who  have 
deservedly  won  renown  in  this  branch  of  the  art.  One  of  the  earliest  of 
these  was  Maou  Yen-chow,  who,  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Mayers,  "having 
been  commissioned  by  Yuen-te,  of  the  Han  dynasty  (48-32  B.  C),  to  paint 
the  portraits  of  the  beauties  of  his  harem,  is  said  to  have  falsified  the 
lineaments  of  the  lovely  Chaou  Keun  on  being  denied  a  bribe,  and  sub- 
sequently, on  the  lady's  real  beauty  being  discovered  by  the  emperor, 
to  have  fled  with  her  true  portrait  to  the  Khan  of  the  Iliung-nu.  The 
Khan,  fired  by  the  hope  of  obtaining  possession  of  so  peerless  a  beauty, 
invaded  China  in  irresistible  force,  and  only  consented  to  retire  beyond 
the  Wall  when  the  lady  was  surrendered  to  him.  She  accompanied  her 
savage  captor,  bathed  in  tears,  until  the  banks  of  the  Amur  were 
reached,  when,  rather  than  go  beyond  the  boundary,  she  plunged  into 
the  waters  of  the  stream.  Her  corpse  was  interred  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  and  it  is  related  that  the  tumulus  raised  above  her  grave  remained 
covered  with  undying  verdure." 

It  is  a  curious  circumstance  that  in  China,  a  land  where  exists  such 
a  profound  veneration  for  everything  old,  there  should  not  be  found 
either  any  ancient  buildings  or  old  ruins.  While  every  other  nation 
possessing  a  history  has  its  monuments  and  remains,  China  has  nothing 
which  illustrates  a  past  age,  except  possibly  a  few  pagodas  scattered 
over  the  land.  No  emperor  has  sought  to  hand  down  his  name  to  gener- 
ations yet  to  come  by  the  erection  of  any  building,  useful  or  ornamental. 
It  would  seem  as  though  their  original  nomadic  origin  haunted  them 
still,  and  that  the  recollection  of  old  tent-homes  which  were  pitched 
to-day  and  struck  to-morrow,  still  dominates  their  ideas  of  what  palaces 
and  houses  should  be. 

That  there  is  an  abundant  supply  of  the  most  durable  materials  for 
building  in  the  land  is  certain,  and  that  for  many  centuries  the  Chinese 
have  been  acquainted  with  the  art  of  brick-making  is  well  known,  but 
yet  they  have  reared  no  building  possessing  enduring  stability.  Neither 
do  they  possess  any  respect  for  ancient  edifices,  even  when  they  have 
the  odor  of  sanctity  attached  to  them.    If  any  house  in  the  empire  should 


252  ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA. 

have  been  preserved,  it  should  have  been  Confucius',  and  yet  we  are 
told  tha^t  in  the  reign  of  Woo-ti  (140-86,  B.  C),  a  prince  of  Loo  pulled  it 
down  to  build  a  larger  one  in  its  place. 

But  not  only  does  the  ephemeral  nature  of  the  tent  appear  in  the 
slender  construction  of  Chinese  houses,  but  even  in  shape  they  assume 
a  tent-like  form.  The  slope  of  the  roof,  and  its  up-turned  corners, 
coupled  with  the  absence  of  upper  stories,  all  remind  one  irresistibly 
of  a  tent.  The  main  supports,  also,  of  the  roof  are  wooden  pillars,  not 
the  walls,  which  only  serve  to  fill  up  the  intervening  spaces,  and  form 
no  addition  to  the  stability  of  the  building.  As  etiquette  provides  that, 
in  houses  of  the  better  class,  a  high  wall  shall  surround  the  building, 
and  that  no  window  shall  look  outwards,  streets  in  the  fashionable  parts 
of  the  cities  have  a  very  dreary  aspect.  The  only  breaks  in  the  long- 
line  of  dismal  walls,  are  the  front  doors,  which,  however,  are  generally 
closed,  or  if  by  any  chance  they  should  be  left  open,  movable  screens 
bar  the  sight  of  all  beyond  the  doors  of  the  munshang's,  or  door-keeper's 
rooms. 

If,  however,  we  pass  one  such  screen,  we  find  ourselves  in  a  court- 
yard, which  may  possibly  be  laid  out  as  a  garden,  but  more  frequently 
is  flagged  with  paving  stones.  On  either  side  are  rooms  usually  occu- 
pied by  servants,  while  in  front  is  a  building  to  which  we  have  to  ascend 
by  two  or  three  steps,  and  through  which  a  passage  runs,  having  a 
room  or  rooms  on  either  side.  At  the  other  end  of  the  passage  a  descent 
of  two  or  three  steps  lands  us  in  another  court-yard,  in  the  rooms  sur- 
rounding which  the  family  live,  and  behind  this  again  are  the  women's 
apartments,  which  not  infrequently  look  into  a  garden  at  the  back. 

A  passage,  either  running  along  the  inside  of  the  court-yards  or  be- 
yond them,  enables  servants  and  tradespeople  to  pass  any  part  of  the 
house  without  trespassing  on  the  central  way,  which  is  reserved  for 
their  betters.  As  has  already  been  said,  wooden  pillars  support  the 
roofs  of  the  buildings,  which  are  a  reminiscence  of  the  earlier  tent,  and 
the  intervals  between  these  are  filled  up  with  brick  work,  but  often  so' 
irregularly  as  to  point  plainly  to  their  being  no  integral  part  of  the 
construction. 

The  window  frames  are  wooden,  over  which  is  pasted  either  paper  or 
calico,  or  sometimes  pieces  of  talc  are  substituted,  the  better  to  transmit 
the  light.  The  doors  are  almost  invariably  folding,  and  turn  in  wooden 
sockets.    The  floors  of  the  rooms  are  generally  either  stone  or  cement, 


ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA.  253 

and  when  laid  down  with  wood,  are  so  uneven  and  creaky,  as  to  con- 
siderably mitigate  its  advantages.  Ceilings  are  not  often  used,  the  roof 
being  the  only  covering  to  the  rooms.  As  a  rule,  the  roof  is  the  most 
ornamental  part  of  the  building.  The  wood-work  which  supports  it  is 
intricate  and  handsome,  the  shape  is  picturesque,  and  the  glazed  tiles 
which  cover  it  give  it  a  bright  aspect.  Yellow  is  the  color  commonly 
used,  both  for  temples  and  such  houses  which,  by  the  sumptuary  law  in 
force,  are  entitled  to  have  glazed  tiles.  At  the  altar  of  Heaven  in  Peking 
a  magnificent  effect  is  produced  by  the  use  of  deep  blue  glazed  porce- 
lain tiles,  which  in  hue  and  brightness  make  no  bad  imitation  of  the  sky 
above. 

Carpets  are  seldom  used,  more  especially  in  southern  China,  where 
also  stoves  for  warming  purposes  are  unknown.  In  the  north,  where, 
in  the  winter,  the  cold  is  very  great,  portable  charcoal  stoves  are  em- 
ployed, in  addition  to  the  heated  kangs,  and  small  chafing  dishes  are 
carried  about  from  room  to  room.  But  the  main  dependence  of  the 
Chinese  for  personal  warmth  is  on  clothes.  As  the  winter  approaches 
garment  is  added  to  garment,  and  furs  to  quilted  vestments,  until  the 
wearer  assumes  an  unwieldy  and  exaggerated  shape. 

Of  the  personal  comfort  obtainable  in  a  house  Chinamen  are 
strangely  ignorant.  Their  furniture  is  of  the  hardest  and  most  uncom- 
promising nature.  Chairs,  made  of  hard,  black  wood,  and  of  an  angular 
shape,  and  equally  unyielding  divans,  covered  possibly  with  hard,  red 
cushions,  are  the  only  seats  known  to  them.  Their  beds  are  scarcely 
more  comfortable,  and  their  pillows  are  oblong  cubes  of  bamboo,  or 
other  hard  material. 

The  use  of  paint  in  ornamenting  the  inside  of  the  roofs  and  other 
parts  of  the  house  is  subject  to  sumptuary  laws,  which  regulates  not 
only  what  shall  be  painted,  but  also  Avhat  colors  shall  be  used.  No  let 
or  hindrance,  however,  is  placed  in  the  way  of  internal  ornament,  and 
the  wood  carvings,  representing  flowers  and  fruit,  which  not  infre- 
quently adorn  the  doorways  and  walls  of  the  houses  of  the  rich,  are 
often  extremely  handsome,  combining  beauty  of  design  with  wonderful 
skill  in  execution. 

In  every  city  the  temples  form  a  noticeable  feature,  and  prominent 
among  them  are  invariably  those  dedicated  to  Confucius.  The  law  pro- 
vides that  at  least  one  of  these  sliall  be  built  in  every  city  and  market 
town  throughout  the  empire,  and  it  is  ordained  with  equal  fixity  that 


254  ART,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA. 

it  shall  consist  of  three  court-yards,  built  one  behind  the  other,  and  all 
facing  south.  The  entrances  are  on  the  eastern  and  western  faces  of 
the  outer  court-yard,  and  only  when  a  native  of  the  district  has  won  the 
supreme  honor  at  the  competitive  examinations,  viz.,  the  title  of 
Chwang-yuen,  is  the  southern  wall,  which  is  always  painted  red,  pierced 
for  a  gateway. 

Even  when  this  is  done,  the  right  of  passing  through  it  is  reserved 
only  for  emperors  and  Chwang-yuens,  who  alone  also  have  the  right  of 
crossing  the  bridge  which  spans  the  semi-circular  pond,  which  occupies 
part  of  the  lower  end  of  the  court -yard.  In  the  right  hand  corner,  at 
the  upper  end,  is  the  house  where  the  animals  for  sacrifice  are  kept,  and 
on  the  opposite  side  is  the  pavilion  where  the  chief  worshipper  rests 
when  first  entering  the  temple,  and  where  he  dons  his  official  clothes. 
Across  the  northern  end  runs  a  large  hall,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  the 
"Gate  of  Great  Perfection,"  and  through  which  only  those  who  are 
privileged  to  enter  the  temple  by  the  southern  wall,  and  to  cross  the 
bridge,  are  allowed  to  pass  into  the  next  or  principal  court. 

On  each  side  of  this  gate  are  covered  passages,  containing  the  tab- 
lets of  illustrious  Confucianists,  famous  for  their  piety  and  learning. 
Cypresses  grow  in  the  intervening  space,  and  here  the  worshippers  pros- 
trate themselves  before  the  tablet,  or,  in  some  cases,  image  of  the  Sage, 
which  rests  on  an  altar  in  the  "Hall  of  Great  Perfection,"  which  faces 
southward.  On  either  side  of  the  high  altar  are  arranged  the  tablets 
and  altars  of  the  four  principal  disciples  of  Confucius,  and  of  the  twelve 
"Wise  Men."  In  the  hindermost  court  stands  the  "Ancestral  Hall  of 
Exalted  Sages,"  which  contains  the  tablets  of  the  five  ancestors  of  Con- 
fucius, of  his  half-brother,  of  the  fathers  of  the  principal  disciples,  and 
of  other  worthies. 

The  largest  Confucian  temple  at  Peking  is  a  very  handsome  struc- 
ture. The  roof,  which  is  painted  an  azure  blue,  is  elaborately  decorated, 
and  rows  of  cedar  trees,  which  are  said  to  be  five  hundred  years  old, 
adorn  the  court-yards. 

The  Buddhist  temples  differ  little  in  general  construction  from  those 
dedicated  to  Confucius.  Like  them  they  are  built  in  a  succession  of 
court-yards,  the  minutiae  of  which  are  different,  and  in  the  objects  of 
worship  they  are,  of  course,  dissimilar.  In  place  of  the  tablets  of  Con- 
fucius and  his  four  disciples  stand  images  of  Buddha,  Past,  Present, 
and  Future,  and  the  shrines  of  the  twelve  Wise  Men  are  exchanged  for 


ABT,  MUSIC  AND  THE  DRAMA.  255 

a  number  of  idols  representing  the  numerous  incarnations  of  Buddha, 
Among  the  most  ancient  buildings  in  China  are  Buddhist  pagodas, 
which  were  fii'st  built  on  the  introduction  of  Buddhism  into  China. 
Originally  they  were  designed  as  depositaries  of  relics  of  Buddha,  but 
in  later  years  numbers  have  been  erected  to  form  the  tombs  of  cele- 
brated Buddhist  priests,  or  as  memorials  of  saintly  personages,  or  again, 
to  secure  beneficial  geomantic  influences  for  their  surounding  districts. 
Pagodas  are  generally  built  of  bricks,  and  are  made  to  consist  of  an 
uneven  number  of  stories;  five,  seven  and  nine  being  the  most  common 
numbers.  In  most  cases  the  walls  are  double,  and  between  the  inner 
and  outer  walls  winds  the  staircase  leading  to  the  summit,  from  which, 
by  means  of  doorways,  access  is  also  obtained  to  the  chambers  on  each 
flat. 

The  outer  wall,  which  invariably  tapers,  is  usually  octagonal,  and 
its  surface  is  broken  by  the  projecting  roofs  of  tiles  which  surmount  the 
different  stories.  These  roofs,  turned  up  at  the  corners,  covered  with 
green  glazed  tiles,  and  hung  about  with  bells,  form  the  most  attractive 
features  of  the  building.  In  some  pagodas  containing  relics  of  Buddha, 
as  in  the  case  with  the  one  at  How-chow,  no  stories  divide  the  interior, 
but  in  the  center  of  the  ground  floor  rises  a  marble  pagoda  shaped 
column,  beneath  which  rests  the  relic,  and  upon  the  sides  of  which  are 
carved  10,000  small  images  of  Buddha. 

The  most  celebrated  and  magnificent  pagoda  ever  built  in  China 
was  the  famous  porcelain  tower  at  Nanking,  which  was  erected  by  the 
Emperor  Yung-loh  (1403-1425),  to  commemorate  the  virtues  of  his 
mother.  The  outer  walls  were  built  of  bricks  of  the  finest  white  porce- 
lain, and  the  inner  walls  of  ordinary  bricks  encased  in  richly  enamelled 
yellow  and  red  tiles.  In  shape  it  was  an  octagon.  It  consisted  of  nine 
stories,  and  stood  about  270  feet  in  height.  The  pinnacle  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  large  gilt  ball  fixed  to  the  top  of  an  iron  rod,  which  was 
encircled  by  nine  iron  rings,  and  on  the  roof  were  fastened  five  large 
pearls  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  city  from  as  many  evils.  This 
unique  structure  cost  about  one  million  dollars,  and  nineteen  years  were 
spent  in  building  it.  After  standing  for  450  years,  it  was  destroyed  by  the 
Tai-ping  rebels  so  completely  that  one  brick  was  not  left  standing  on 
another. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY. 

Chinese  Origin  of  Printing— Of  Gunpowder— Of  tlie  Magnetic  Compass— Manufacture  of 
Paper— Work  of  tlie  Eugrarer  and  Pressman — Newspapers— Cliinese  Ink— Inferiority 
in  Gunnery — Tlie  Magnetic  Car — Arts  and  Manufactures— Manner  of  Ginning  Cotton- 
Silk  and  Porcelain — Scientific  Knowledge — Practice  of  Medicine — Pharmacy — Ignorance 
of  Physicians — The  Medical  Profession  Held  in  Light  Esteem. 

THERE  appear  to  be  reasonable  grounds  for  the  belief,  that 
what  are  justly  considered  as  three  of  the  most  important 
inventions  or  discoveries  of  modern  times,  the  art  of  printing, 
the  composition  of  gunpowder,  and  the  magnetic  compass, 
had  their  first  origin  in  China.  However  much  the  people  of  the  West 
may  have  outstripped  the  orientals  in  the  use  and  application  of  these 
instruments  or  agents,  the  Chinese  can  urge  claims  to  the  priority  of 
possession  which  are  sufficient  to  convince  any  unprejudiced  person. 

There  cannot  be  the  least  doubt  of  the  art  of  printing  having  been 
practiced  in  China  during  the  tenth  century  of  our  era.  The  precise 
mode  in  which  they  operate  is  certainly  different  from  ours,  but  the 
main  principle,  that  of  multiplying  and  cheapening  books  by  saving 
time  and  labor  of  transcription,  is  altogether  the  same. 

Shortly  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  Sung  dynasty,  about 
the  middle  of  the  tenth  century,  a  minister  of  state  named  Fung-tao  is 
said  to  have  introduced  to  the  notice  of  the  government  the  art  of  taking 
impressions  on  paper.  History  states  that  the  first  essay  in  printing 
was  to  transfer  the  pages  from  stone  blocks,  on  which  the  writing  had 
been  engraved — a  process  by  which  the  ground  of  the  paper  was  black, 
and  the  letters  white.  This  at  length  led  to  the  improved  invention  of 
wooden  stereotype  blocks,  on  which  the  characters  were  cut  in  relief  as 
at  present,  and  the  effect  thereby  reversed,  the  paper  page  remaining 
white,  and  the  characters  impressed  in  ink. 

The  high  estimation  in  which  letters  have  been  held  in  China  may 
be  supposed  to  have  contributed  to  the  invention  by  which  books  are 
rendered  available  to  the  greatest  number  of  readers ;  and  it  seems  evi- 
dent from  Chinese  history,  that  as  the  period  of  Sung  which  immediately 

256 


CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY.       ^57 

followed,  is  celebrated  for  its  writers,  that  invention  gave  an  impetus 
to  the  national  taste  for  its  own  peculiar  learning.  For  all  purposes  of 
cheapness  and  expedition  the  method  of  printing  is  perfect;  and  a  little 
consideration  will  show  that  the  stereotype  plan  is  more  peculiarly- 
suited  to  the  Chinese  characters  than  to  any  other.  The  alphabet  of 
the  English  language  consists  of  only  a  few  letters,  whose  infinite  com- 
binations form  many  thousand  words,  but  with  the  Chinese  every 
word  is  a  different  character.  The  six-and-twenty  letters  of  our  alpha- 
bet are  all  within  the  reach  of  the  compositor  in  setting  up  a  page  of 
type,  and,  from  long  practice,  he  moves  his  hand  to  the  little  cells  in 
which  they  are  arranged  almost  without  looking.  But  in  China  this 
would  be  impossible,  as  thousands  of  different  characters  are  required 
in  the  printing  of  a  single  book. 

The  material  commonly  used  by  the  Chinese  for  their  plates  is  pear- 
tree  wood,  called  by  them  ly-mo.  The  wooden  block  of  a  thickness  cal- 
culated to  give  it  strength  is  finely  planed  and  squared  to  the  shape  and 
dimensions  of  two  pages.  The  surface  is  then  rubbed  over  with  a  paste 
or  size,  occasionally  made  from  boiled  rice,  which  renders  it  quite 
smooth,  and  at  the  same  time  softens  and  otherwise  prepares  it  for  the 
reception  of  characters.  The  future  pages,  which  have  been  finely 
transcribed  by  a  professional  person  on  thin  transparent  paper,  are 
delivered  to  the  block-cutter,  who,  while  the  above  mentioned  applica- 
tion is  still  wet,  unites  them  to  the  block  in  an  inverted  position,  the 
thinness  of  the  paper  displaying  the  writing  perfectly  through  the  back. 

The  paper  being  subsequently  rubbed  off,  a  clear  impression  in  ink 
of  the  inverted  writing  remains  on  the  wood.  The  workman  then  with 
his  sharp  graver  cuts  away  with  extraordinary  neatness  and  despatch 
all  that  portion  of  the  wooden  surface  which  is  not  covered  by  the  ink, 
leaving  the  characters  in  high  relief. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  "press  of  China"  would  be  a  misnomer,  as  no 
press  whatever  is  used  in  their  printing.  The  paper  is  very  thin,  and 
easily  absorbs  the  ink,  and  receives  the  impression  with  a  gentle  con- 
tact, while  a  harder  pressure  would  break  it.  The  printer  holds  in  his 
right  hand  two  brushes,  at  the  opposite  extremities  of  the  same  handle; 
with  one  he  inks  the  face  of  the  characters,  and,  the  paper  being  then 
laid  on,  he  runs  the  dry  brush  over  it  so  as  to  make  it  take  the  im- 
pression. They  do  this  with  such  expedition  that  one  man  can  take  off 
a  couple  of  thousand  copies  in  a  day.    The  paper  being  so  thin  and 


258       CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCO  VERY. 

transparent  is  printed  on  one  side  only,  and  each  printed  sheet  (con- 
sisting of  two  pages)  is  folded  back,  so  as  to  bring  the  blank  sides  in 
inward  contact.  The  fold  is  thus  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  book,  and  the 
sheets  are  stitched  together  at  the  other;  which  might  lead  an  unin- 
formed person  to  take  any  Chinese  book  for  a  new  work,  with  its  leaves 
still  uncut.  In  folding  the  sheets,  the  workman  is  guided  by  a  black 
line,  which  directs  him  in  the  same  manner  that  the  holes,  made  by  the 
points  in  our  printed  sheets,  direct  the  binder. 

The  date  of  the  invention  of  paper  seems  to  prove  that  some  of  the 
most  important  arts  connected  with  the  progress  of  civilization  are  not 
extremely  ancient  in  China.  In  the  time  of  Confucius  they  wrote  on 
the  bark  of  the  bamboo  with  a  style;  they  next  used  silk  or  linen,  and 
it  was  not  until  A.  D.  95  that  paper  was  invented.  The  materials  used 
by  them  in  the  manufacture  are  various.  A  coarse  yellowish  paper, 
used  for  wrapping  parcels,  is  made  from  rice-straw.  The  better  kinds 
are  composed  of  the  inner  bark  of  a  species  of  morus,  as  well  as  from 
cotton,  but  principally  of  bamboo. 

What  is  commonly  known  in  this  country  under  the  name  of  Indian 
ink  is  nothing  more  than  what  the  Chinese  manufacture  for  their  own 
writing.  The  writing  apparatus  consists  of  a  square  of  this  ink,  a  little 
black  slab  of  slate,  polished  smooth,  with  a  depression  at  one  end  to 
hold  w^ater,  a  small  brush  or  pencil  of  rabbit's  hair  inserted  into  a  reed 
handle,  and  a  bundle  of  paper.  These  four  articles,  the  ink,  the  slab  on 
which  it  is  rubbed,  the  writing-pencil,  and  the  paper,  are  called  (with 
that  respect  which  the  Cliinese  profess  for  letters)  "the  four  precious 
elements."  They  are  taught  very  early  to  keep  them  in  high  order  and 
neatness,  and,  as  men  are  always  more  or  less  the  creatures  of  habit, 
this  course  has  its  effect  in  the  long  run. 

The  Peking  Gazette — if  the  title  of  the  publication  is  freely  trans- 
lated— is  the  oldest  newspaper  of  the  world.  The  date  of  its  first  publi- 
cation is  placed  somewhere  during  the  reign  of  the  Tting  dynasty  (970- 
1366).  The  paper  is  not  an  official  gazette  in  the  strict  meaning  of  the 
term,  but  a  publication  authorized  by  the  government,  which  acquaints 
the  country  with  imperial  edicts  and  ordinances  of  the  higher  authori- 
ties, without  any  editorials  or  other  comments.  The  latter  are  strictly 
prohibited.  Moreover,  they  are  not  necessary,  because  the  government 
accompanies  all  orders  for  reward  or  punishment  with  explicit  argu- 
ments.    The  "leader"  of  this  publication  is  always  an  imperial  edict, 


CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY,       259 

even  if  it  refers  solely  to  some  petition,  which  invariably  accompanies 
the  imperial  utterance. 

The  Peking  Gazette  appears  daily  and  is  eagerly  read  by  all  intelli- 
gent Chinese  in  every  part  of  the  great  empire.  Thousands  of  scribes 
in  the  provinces  find  occupation  in  copying  parts  of  the  publication  for 
such  readers  as  are  unable  to  pay  the  regular  subscription  for  the  entire 
paper.  The  subscription  price  is  about  |6  per  annum.  The  paper  is 
printed  by  means  of  wooden  types,  which,  like  the  modern  metal  types, 
are  distributed  again  for  subsequent  use,  and  consists  ordinarily  of 
from  ten  to  twelve  sheets  of  thin,  light  brown  tissue.  Red  lines  divide 
each  page  into  seven  columns,  and  each  of  the  latter  contains  fourteen 
characters. 

A  semi-monthly  issue  is  devoted  to  orders  promulgated  by  the  man- 
darins. One  of  these  issues — of  January  4,  1897 — cites  ten  cases  of 
higher  military  and  civic  oflficials  who  were  guilty  of  glaring  neglects 
of  duty.  The  civil  governor  of  Kirin  placards  in  this  issue  not  less  than 
five  higher  officials.  One  of  them,  a  general  stationed  near  the  frontier, 
is  accused  of  having  committed  brutalities  against  peaceable  in- 
habitants and  of  having  embezzled  the  pay  of  a  number  of  soldiers  who 
figured  only  on  paper  and  never  existed  in  reality.  A  civil  commis- 
sioner who  was  detailed  to  investigate  this  case  never  appeared  upon 
the  scene.  A  colonel  of  the  same  district  is  accused  not  only  of  having 
neglected  to  send  soldiers  in  pursuit  of  robbers  who  pillaged  a  village 
but  to  have  tolerated  the  sacking  of  houses  by  his  soldiers.  A  third 
military  official  is  charged  with  having  appropriated  repeatedly  a  num- 
ber of  guns  and  sold  them,  so  that  his  men  had  neither  sufficient  arms 
for  drill  nor  for  the  suppression  of  gangs  of  robbers  infesting  the  dis- 
trict. This  same  official  also  carried  a  number  of  men  on  paper  and 
appropriated  their  pay. 

For  the  conduct  of  these  three  military  mandarins  the  emperor  had 
no  stronger  condemnation  than  that  it  was  "undignified,"  and  their 
punishment  was  the  striking  of  their  names  from  the  rolls.  The  same 
issue  charges  a  general  and  a  major  with  cowardice.  They  were  or- 
dered to  attack  a  mountain  stronghold  of  the  robbers.  First  they  de- 
layed the  march  in  an  altogether  indefensible  manner,  and  finally  they 
did  not  dare  to  proceed  to  the  attack.  These  two  officers  were  also 
dishonorably  discharged,  "as  a  warning  to  others." 

All  other  Chinese  newspapers  besides  the  Peking  Gazette  are  pub- 


2^0       CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  PISCOVEnT. 

lished  in  the  treaty  ports,  for  the  simple  reason  that  the  publishers  feel 
safer  there  than  anywhere  else  from  arbitrary  prosecution  by  the  vice- 
roys and  other  high  mandarins.  These  publishers  frequently  employ, 
for  the  sake  of  a  freer  expression  of  opinion,  Europeans  at  a  fixed 
salary,  who  simply  furnish  their  names  as  responsible  editors.  A  num- 
ber of  foreigners  are  also  employed  on  newspapers  printed  in  the  Chi- 
nese language.  These  papers  are  all  published  in  the  foreign  quarters 
of  the  treaty  ports. 

The  first  of  these  provincial  papers  appeared  about  forty  years  ago 
in  Shanghai,  and  two  others  followed  soon  afterward  in  Tien-tsin  and 
Canton.  They  are  nominally  published  by  foreigners,  but,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  owned  by  Chinese.  Since  that  time,  and  particularly  since  the 
war  with  Japan,  the  number  of  Chinese  newspapers  has  rapidly  in- 
creased. The  "Shen-Pao,"  or  Shanghai  Gazette,  is  the  most  important, 
and  it  has  an  instructive  history.  This  leading  Chinese  newspaper  has 
undertaken  the  task  to  expose  and  to  fight  oflflcial  abuses.  It  is  par- 
ticularly bent  upon  opposing  the  horrors  of  the  torture  inflicted  by 
courts  and  officials,  and  more  than  one  case  is  on  record  in  which  the 
courageous  attitude  of  the  Shanghai  Gazette  caused  the  revocation  of 
provincial  sentences  by  the  central  government  in  Peking.  During  its 
career  of  more  than  thirty  years  this  newspaper  has  always  been  in  the 
van  of  reform  movements,  and  on  this  account  it  is  the  most  influential 
Chinese  publication. 

More  than  once  the  Shanghai  Gazette  confronted  the  danger  of  being 
suppressed.  An  energetic  effort  in  this  direction  was  made  by  the  gov- 
ernor of  Shekiang  Province,  who  was  attacked  by  the  paper  for  having 
decreed  a  judicial  murder.  The  governor  applied  to  Prince  Kung,  who 
was  then  president  of  the  Tsung-li-Yamen,  for  an  order  to  suppress  the 
paper,  but  Prince  Kung  called  the  governor's  attention  to  the  risk  in- 
volved by  the  suppression  of  a  newspaper  published  under  the  protec- 
tion of  a  foreign  flag  in  a  foreign  settlement.  Moreover,  he  added,  much 
to  the  chagrin  of  the  governor:  "We  in  Peking  like  to  read  such  things." 

Besides  the  Gazette  there  are  in  Shanghai  twenty  other  Chinese 
newspapers  and  periodicals,  while  before  the  war  with  Japan  there  were 
but  four.  The  influence  of  occidental  culture  is  also  noted  in  the  line  of 
purely  advertising  mediums.  The  Chinese  merchant,  shrewd  as  he  is 
by  nature,  quickly  realized  the  value  of  advertising,  and  uses  this 
medium  of  success  quite  extensively.     Advertisements  appear  on  the 


CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY.        2G1 

front  page  of  tlie  newspapers,  after  the  English  style  of  such  publica- 
tions. In  regard  to  rapidity  and  extent  of  reporting  interesting  events, 
however,  the  Chinese  publishers  are  away  behind  their  occidental  col- 
leagues. They  content  themselves  with  translating  telegrams  from 
English  newspapers,  invariably  giving  credit  to  the  source.  This  latter 
creditable  act,  however,  is  probably  due  more  to  the  desire  for  protection 
than  to  any  inherent  sense  of  honest3\ 

The  column,  "Answers  to  Correspondents,"  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant features  of  the  Chinese  newspapers.  It  follows  immediately 
after  the  exhaustive  editorial  leader,  which  is  the  principal  feature  of 
the  paper,  and  its  diversity  of  subjects  speaks  well  for  the  intelligence 
of  the  readers.  There  is  also  a  smattering  of  "foreign  news,"  and  quite 
a  display  of  domestic  news  from  various  parts  of  the  empire.  The  "local 
page"  is  fairly  well  filled  with  accidents,  fires,  personal  matters,  and  the 
like,  but  municipal  affairs  are  scarcely  ever  mentioned.  Public  adver- 
tisements are  fairly  plentiful,  particularly  in  the  line  of  "stolen  chil- 
dren," for  kidnapping  seems  to  be  the  employment  of  many  miscreants 
in  the  big  cities  of  China. 

In  the  line  of  jingoism  and  hatred  of  foreigners  some  of  the  Chinese 
newspapers  produce  the  most  astounding  things,  and  at  least  a  part 
of  the  present  troubles,  which  threaten  to  involve  the  existence  of  the 
empire,  must  be  ascribed  to  this  part  of  the  press.  Those  Chinese  papers 
which  are  rabid  in  the  baiting  of  foreigners  and  foreign  institutions  are 
run  in  part  or  altogether  with  European  capital.  The  Hu-Pau,  a  Chi- 
nese humorous  newspaper,  published  weekly  in  green  covers,  is  the 
leader  in  the  agitations  against  foreigners.  Each  number  contains  from 
twelve  to  twenty  pages  of  illustrations,  chiefly  caricatures,  and  a  few 
pages  of  letterpress.  The  illustrations  are  designed  in  no  mean  style, 
and  the  imprint  upon  their  rice  paper  is  excellent.  They  relate  mostly 
to  scenes  between  Chinese  and  Europeans,  the  latter  always  distin- 
guished by  the  silk  hat,  known  as  "stove  pipe."  Of  course  the  foreigners 
are  invariably  made  the  laughing  stock. 

At  the  upper  rim  of  the  Qiinese  newspapers  is  the  stereotype  re- 
quest: "Please  be  careful  of  printed  paper."  This  appeal  is  pretty 
generally  heeded  by  the  Chinese  readers.  Newspapers  are  preserved 
and  read  and  reread  again  until  they  almost  fall  to  pieces.  Then  comes 
an  employe  of  the  publishers  and  carries  the  faded  papers  to  the  "Wen 


262        CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCO  VERY. 

Miao,"  the  literary  temple,  where  they  are  cremated  in  ovens  con- 
structed for  this  purpose. 

However  ancient  may  be  the  discovery  among  this  people  of  the 
composition  of  gunpowder,  its  particular  application  to  fire-arms  was 
probably  derived  from  the  West.  The  silence  of  the  two  elder  Polos, 
who  serA^ed  at  the  siege  of  Siang  yang-foo,  about  the  year  1273,  regard- 
ing cannon,  and  the  circumstance  of  those  persons  having  taught  the 
use  of  balistae  for  hurling  stones  at  the  Tartars,  seem  to  prove  that  the 
Chinese  at  that  period  were  as  little  acquainted  with  fire-arms  as  the 
Europeans. 

Their  history  notices  the  use  of  a  composition  of  the  nature  of  Greek 
fire,  which,  when  thrown  into  the  ditches  that  surround  cities,  exploded 
in  contact  with  the  water,  and  proved  very  destructive.  The  invention 
of  powder,  as  compounded  of  "sulphur,  saltpeter  and  willow  charcoal," 
is  carried  very  far  back  by  the  Chinese,  and  was  probably  applied  by 
them  to  fireworks  (in  which  they  excel  at  present),  or  other  harmless 
and  useful  purposes,  long  before  their  unwarlike  spirit  could  have 
suggested  the  use  of  guns  to  themselves,  or  they  could  have  borrowed 
the  notion  from  Europeans. 

The  Chinese,  we  may  remark,  have  always  acknowledged  their  great 
inferiority  in  gunnery.  Before  the  Jesuits  taught  them  to  cast  cannon, 
there  is  reason  to  suppose  that  they  used  tubes  of  wrought-iron  bound 
together  by  hoops.  The  last  emperor  of  the  Ming  dynasty  invited  the 
assistance  of  some  guns  and  artillerymen  from  the  Portuguese  of  Macao 
against  the  Tartars;  and  Kang-he,  after  the  conquest  of  China,  employed 
Pere  Verbiest  to  superintend  the  casting  of  some  hundreds  of  guns — 
a  union  of  military  pursuits  with  clerical  which  brought  some  scandal 
upon  the  enterprising  father  at  Rome. 

It  remains  to  notice  the  claims  of  the  Chinese  to  priority  in  invention 
in  the  case  of  the  magnetic  compass,  and  we  may  here  refer  to  the  saga- 
cious investigations  of  M.  Klaproth,  who  informs  us  that  the  first  dis- 
tinct notice  in  Europe  of  the  properties  of  the  polarized  needle  appeared 
in  a  satirical  poem  of  Guyot  de  Provins,  about  the  year  1190;  and  the 
next  writer  who  referred  to  the  same  phenomenon  was  Cardinal  de 
Vitry,  who  visited  Palestine  in  the  fourth  crusade,  and  a  second  time 
subsequently,  at  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century.  Brunetto 
Latini,  author  of  a  work  in  French  called  Le  Treson,  written  about  1260, 
observes  that  the  magnetic  needle  was  calculated  to  be  highly  useful 


CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCO  VERY.        263 

at  sea;  but  at  the  same  time  notices  the  ignorant  prejudice  by  which 
navigators  were  deterred  from  its  adoption;  "for,"  says  he,  "no  master 
mariner  dares  to  use  it,  lest  he  should  fall  under  the  suspicion  of  being 
a  magician;  nor  would  even  the  sailors  venture  themselves  out  to  sea 
under  his  command,  if  he  took  with  him  an  instrument  which  carries 
so  great  an  appearance  of  being  constructed  under  the  influence  of  some 
infernal  spirit." 

From  the  above  authorities,  and  one  or  two  others,  M.  Klaproth  in- 
fers that  the  use  of  the  magnetic  needle  was  known  in  Europe  at  the 
beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century;  but  none  of  those  writers  states 
that  it  was  invented  in  Europe;  they  rather  afford  a  presumption  that 
the  knowledge  of  it  was  obtained  during  the  crusades.  That  the  mar- 
iner's compass  was  in  use  likewise  among  the  Arabs  about  the  year 
1242  is  proved  by  a  citation  from  Baylak,  an  Arabian  writer,  who  men- 
tions it  as  a  contrivance  generally  known  to  navigators  in  the  sea  of 
Syria.  M.  Klaproth  then  proceeds  to  show  that  the  Chinese  compass 
was,  about  the  year  1117,  made  exactly  in  the  same  manner  as  that 
seen  by  Baylak  among  the  pilots  of  Syria;  and  he  observes: 

"It  follows  from  all  these  facts  that  this  species  of  compass  was 
used  in  China  at  least  eighty  years  previous  to  the  composition  of 
Guyot  de  Provins'  satire;  that  the  Arabs  possessed  it  at  nearly  the  same 
time;  and  that,  consequently,  this  invention  was  communicated,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  to  the  Arabs  by  the  Chinese,  and  that  the  Arabs 
transmitted  it  to  the  Franks  during  the  early  crusades." 

The  attractive  power  of  the  lodestone  has  been  known  from  remote 
antiquity  to  the  Chinese,  but  its  property  of  communicating  polarity  to 
iron  is  for  the  first  time  explicitly  noticed  in  a  Chinese  dictionary, 
finished  in  A.  D.  121.  Under  the  head  of  Lodestone  appears  the  defin- 
ition: "A  stone  with  which  a  direction  can  be  given  to  the  needle." 
Pere.Gaubil,  in  his  history  of  the  Tang  dynasty,  states  that  he  found, 
in  a  work  written  a  hundred  years  later  than  the  above,  the  use  of  the 
compass  distinctly  recorded.  In  a  dictionary  published  in  the  reign  of 
Kang-he  (not  the  imperial  work  which  goes  by  his  name),  it  is  stated 
that  under  the  Tsin  dynasty  ships  were  steered  to  the  south  by  the 
magnet. 

The  Chinese,  however,  appear  to  have  applied  the  polarity  of  the 
magnet  to  a  double  purpose,  and  to  have  used  it  in  ancient  times  as  a 
guide  on  shore  as  well  as  on  sea.    This  was  effected  by  a  machine  called 


264        CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY. 

a  magnetic  car,  in  wliicli  was  placed  a  little  figure  of  a  man  turning  on 
a  point,  and  having  its  finger  always  directed  to  the  same  part  of  the 
horizon.  A  representation  of  the  car  is  inserted  in  Klaproth's  work, 
as  copied  from  a  Chinese  encyclopaedia.  It  is  stated  in  a  history  of  the 
Tsin  dynasty  that  the  figure  placed  upon  the  car  represented  "a  genius 
in  a  feather  dress,"  and,  that  when  the  emperor  went  out  on  state 
occasions,  this  car  "always  led  the  way,  and  served  to  indicate  the  four 
points  of  the  compass."  These  magnetic  cars  were  also  known  in  Japan 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century,  as  is  proved  from  the  testimony 
of  Japanese  works;  but  they  admit  that  the  invention  came  from  China. 

The  ingenuity  of  the  Chinese  is  best  displayed  in  their  arts  and  manu- 
factures, and  it  is  in  nothing  more  conspicuous  than  the  ready  and 
simple  modes  by  which  they  contrive  to  abridge  labor,  and  occasionally 
to  avail  themselves  of  a  mechanical  advantage,  without  the  aid  of  ex- 
tensive scientific  knowledge.  Dr.  Abel,  a  gentleman  who  has  made  a 
study  of  the  Chinese  people,  in  writing  on  this  subject  says: 

"Chance  led  me  to  the  shop  of  a  blacksmith,  the  manufacturer  of 
various  iron  instruments,  from  a  sword  to  a  hoe.  This  man  well  under- 
stood the  modifying  properties  of  heat,  and  took  the  fullest  advantage 
of  them  in  all  the  practical  concerns  of  his  business.  He  was  forming  a 
reaping  hook  at  the  time  of  my  visit.  A  large  pair  of  shears,  having 
one  blade  fixed  in  a  heavy  block  of  wood,  and  the  other  furnished  with 
a  long  handle  to  serve  as  a  lever,  stood  beside  him.  Bringing  a  piece  of 
metal  of  the  necessary  dimensions  from  the  forge  at  a  white  heat,  he 
placed  it  between  the  blades  of  this  instrument,  and  cut  it  into  shape 
with  equal  ease  and  despatch." 

In  exemplification  of  the  same  point,  we  may  quote  another  instance 
from  the  journal  of  Dr.  Abel,  who  was  a  very  intelligent  observer.  "A 
quantity  of  oil,  recently  taken  from  the  mill  (where  it  had  been  pressed), 
and  contained  in  a  wide  shallow  vessel,  was  continually  agitated  by  a 
large  copper  pestle,  with  v/hich  a  lad  gently  struck  its  surface.  The 
fatigue  which  would  otherwise  have  arisen  from  the  weight  of  the 
pestle,  and  uniform  motion  of  the  arm  in  using  it,  was  prevented  by  the 
following  very  simple  contrivance:  A  small  bow  of  bamboo  being 
fastened  to  the  ceiling  immediately  over  the  vessel  containing  the  oil, 
the  pestle  was  attached  to  its  string,  and,  thus  suspended,  it  received 
from  the  slightest  touch  an  adequate  impulse,  while  the  elasticity  of  the 
bow  gave  it  the  necessary  recoil."    In  this  manner  it  was  worked  by  a 


CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCO  VERY.        265 

young  boy,  who  otherwise  would  not  have  had  the  strength  to  manage 
the  pestle. 

With  regard  to  some  of  their  industrial  arts,  it  may  be  a  question 
whether  they  are  original  and  indigenous,  or  borrowed  from  India; 
though,  with  the  known  ingenuity  of  the  Chinese,  the  presumption  is 
in  favor  of  the  former.  In  cleaning  cotton  they  make  use  of  a  double 
process,  in  most  respects  similar  to  that  known  in  India.  The  machine 
for  freeing  the  cotton  from  its  seed  consists  of  two  wooden  cylinders, 
placed  horizontally  one  above  the  other,  and  very  nearly  in  contact. 
These  are  put  in  motion  by  a  wheel  and  a  treadle,  and  the  cotton,  being 
applied  to  one  side  of  the  crevice,  is  turned  over  by  the  revolution  of 
the  cylinders,  or  rollers,  to  the  opposite,  while  the  seeds,  which  are  too 
large  to  enter  between  them,  fall  to  the  ground.  The  cotton  is  then  freed 
from  dirt  by  the  same  process  as  in  Hindoostan.  A  very  elastic  bow 
with  a  tight  string  is  held  by  the  carder  over  a  heap  of  cotton.  Pulling 
down  the  string  with  some  force  under  a  portion  of  it,  by  means  of  a 
wooden  instrument  in  his  right  hand,  he  suddenly  allows  the  bow  to 
recoil,  and  the  vibration  thus  continually  kept  up  scatters  and  loosens 
the  cotton,  separating  it  into  fine  white  flocks,  without  breaking  the 
fibre. 

In  some  other  instances,  and  indeed  in  most,  no  doubt  can  exist  of 
the  originality  of  invention;  and  the  chief  of  these  are  the  manufacture 
of  silk  and  porcelain.  Could  the  Chinese  urge  no  other  claims  to  praise 
on  account  of  their  ingenuity,  these  two  alone  would  serve  to  give  them 
a  high  rank  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  The  tradition  of  the  in- 
vention of  silk  manufacture  is  carried  back  into  the  mythological  peri- 
ods, and  dates  with  the  origin  of  agriculture.  These  two  pursuits  or 
professions,  namely,  husbandry  and  silk  manufacture,  the  chief  sources 
of  food  and  clothing,  form  the  subject  of  one  of  the  sixteen  discourses 
to  the  people.  It  is  there  observed  that  "from  ancient  times  the  Son  of 
Heaven  himself  directed  the  plough;  the  empress  planted  the  mulberry 
tree.  Thus  have  these  exalted  personages,  not  above  practice  of  labor 
and  exertion,  set  an  example  to  all  under  heaven,  with  a  view  to  leading 
the  millions  of  their  subjects  to  attend  to  their  essential  interests." 

The  Chinese  profess  to  make  a  general  distribution  of  human  knowl- 
edge under  the  three  heads  of  "Heaven,  Earth  and  Man,"  and  this  may 
appear  to  be  not  altogether  unlike  the  threefold  division  proposed  by 
Lord  Bacon,  of  "God,  Nature  and  Man."    A  well  known  encyclopaedia, 


266       CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY. 

in  sixty-four  volumes,  called  San-tsae-too-lioey,  which  dates  about  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  consists  of  wood-cuts,  illustrated  by  letter- 
press, in  the,  three  departments  above  stated.  This  work,  however,  hav- 
ing been  the  compilation  of  one  man  only,  and  consisting  chiefly  of 
plates,  is  superficial  even  for  the  Chinese,  and  does  not  contain  a  full 
account  of  their  science,  such  as  it  is.  The  character  of  the  book  may  be 
partly  gathered  from  the  following  account  of  its  contents  and  method 
of  arrangement: 

Under  the  head  of  Heaven  of  course  comes  astronomy,  and  this  in- 
cludes something  of  what  Vv'as  learned  from  the  Arabians  and  Euro- 
peans. The  department  of  Earth  includes  principally  their  imperfect 
notions  of  geography.  The  third  division,  that  of  Man,  is  b}^  far  the 
most  copious.  It  contains  representations  of  persons  famous  in  history, 
and  of  different  tribes  of  men.  Next  come  buildings;  furniture;  imple- 
ments used  in  husbandry,  manufactures,  and  the  arts  of  peace;  arms 
and  warlike  weapons;  wood-cuts  in  anatomy;  costumes;  games  of  skill; 
specimens  of  ancient  inscriptions;  botany  and  natural  history,  as  applic- 
able to  medicine;  active  sports  and  exercises;  specimens^  of  coins  and 
money. 

The  actual  state  of  the  sciences  in  China  may  perhaps  be  ranked 
with  their  condition  in  Europe,  sometime  previous  to  the  adoption  on 
the  inductive  method  in  philosophy.  The  constitutional  ingenuity  and 
industry  of  the  people  has  led  them  to  fall  upon  various  practical  re- 
sults, in  spite,  it  would  seem,  of  a  feature  in  their  character  and  habits 
which  is  opposed  to  the  progress  of  knowledge.  They  profess  to  set  no 
value  on  abstract  science,  apart  from  some  obvious  and  immediate  end 
of  utilit}'.  Among  ourselves,  the  practical  application  of  scientific  dis- 
coveries is  sometimes  long  subsequent  to  the  discoveries  themselves, 
which  might  perhaj^s  never  have  been  made,  had  not  science  been  fol- 
lowed up  through  its  by-paths  for  its  own  sake  merely,  or  with  a  very 
remote  view  to  utility  in  practice. 

Dr.  Abel  relates  that,  after  satisfying  a  mandarin  in  reply  to  his 
questions  concerning  some  of  the  useful  manufactures  of  the  western 
world,  he  took  occasion  to  mention  that  the  English  had  metals  which 
on  coming  in  contact  with  water  burst  into  flame.  "I  had  some 
potassium  with  me,"  he  adds,  "and  was  desirous  of  showing  its  properties 
to  him.    He  immediately  inquired  concerning  its  uses,  and,  when  these 


rf! 

^ 

» 

^ 

ci: 

0 

c 

H 

s 

e4 

« 

S 

;^ 

o 

M 

g 

o 

c 

CD 

H 

X 

< 

ri 

^ 

o 

^ 

u 

H 

"St 

0 

te 

r/) 

u 

» 

<a 

^ 

tX) 

0 

^ 

H 

A 

0 

0! 

k5 

<y 

1?! 

w 

<v 

B 

NH 

H 

h 

C 

m 

^ 

O 

u 

c 

^ 

» 

^ 

> 

"^ 

CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY.       269 

could  not  be  satisfactorily  explained  to  him,  looked  too  contemptuous 
to  induce  me  to  venture  an  experiment." 

A  surprising  enumeration  might  be  made  of  instances  in  which  the 
Chinese  appear  to  have  stumbled  by  mere  chance  upon  useful  inventions, 
without  the  previous  possession  of  any  scientific  clue.  Oases,  however, 
occur  in  which  it  may  be  fairly  suspected  that  they  were  indebted  to  the 
missionaries.  Without  knowing  anything,  for  instance,  of  that  theory 
of  optics  which  treats  of  the  convergence  and  divergence  of  rays  of  light 
by  lenses  of  different  shapes,  they  use  both  convex  and  concave  glasses 
to  assist  their  sight. 

For  checking  the  glare  of  the  sun,  they  make  use  of  a  mineral  which 
they  call  Cha-she,  or  "tea-stone,"  from  the  resemblance  of  its  transparent 
hue  to  a  weak  infusion  of  black  tea.  In  some  instances  the  Chinese  have 
been  known  to  attempt  slavish  copies  of  telescopes  of  foreign  manu- 
facture; but  their  scientific  knowledge  of  the  construction  of  compound 
lenses  is  so  slight  that  they  have  never  been  successful  in  these  attempts. 
When,  however,  a  few  specimens  of  the  optical  toy,  the  Kaleidoscope, 
first  reached  Canton,  these  were  easily  imitated.  The  Chinese  were  de- 
lighted with  them;  vast  numbers  were  immediately  manufactured,  and 
sent  up  the  country,  under  the  appropriate  name  of  Wan-hua-tung,  or 
"tubes  of  ten  thousand  flowers." 

The  drug  stores  of  China  contain  an  immense  list  of  simples,  a  few 
gums  and  some  minerals.  These  are  sold  in  small  packets,  each  con- 
taining a  dose  enveloped  in  a  wrapper  which  describes  the  use  of  the 
medicine.  Chinese  doctors  paste  up  and  distribute  hand-bills,  in  the 
same  manner  as  is  customary  with  a  certain  branch  of  the  faculty  with 
us,  and  generally  with  reference  to  the  same  diseases.  The  druggists' 
shops  are  remarkable  for  their  superior  cleanliness,  and  not  unlike  those 
of  our  own  country  in  the  arrangement  of  jars,  drawers,  etc. 

The  most  considerable  work  on  Chinese  materia  medica  is  the  fam- 
ous Pun-tsaou,  or  Herbal,  which  is  not  confined  to  botany  merely,  as  its 
name  might  imply,  but  extends  to  the  animal  and  mineral  kingdoms 
also.  At  the  head  of  all  remedies  stands  ginseng,  which  at  one  time  was 
gold  for  eight  times  its  weight  in  silver.  Tea,  in  a  variety  of  prepara- 
tions, is  much  valued  as  a  medicine;  and  different  parts  of  rare  animals 
are  included  in  the  list,  with  the  reputation  of  properties  as  multifarious 
and  inconsistent  as  the  pills  of  a  New  York  quack. 

A  physician  whom  Dr.  Abel  saw  at  Canton  was  entirely  destitute  of 


270       CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCO  VERY. 

anatomical  knowledge.  He  appeared  to  be  aware  that  there  were  such 
viscera  as  the  heart,  lungs  and  liver,  but  had  no  notion  of  their  real  situ- 
ation, or,  like  the  "doctor  against  his  will"  in  Moliere,  placed  them  on 
the  wrong  side  of  the  body.  Still  he  appeared  not  to  be  ignorant  through 
choice,  as  he  eagerly  examined  some  anatomical  plates  from  the  factory 
library,  declaring  that  such  delineations  on  a  large  scale  would  be  a 
most  valuable  acquisition. 

It  may  be  observed,  however,  that  though  they  never  either  dissect 
or  practice  amputation  (except  that  of  the  head),  and  are  consequently 
ignorant  of  the  structure  and  functions  of  the  vital  organs,  they  have  a 
tolerable  acquaintance  with  osteology.  The  importance  which  they  at- 
tach to  the  remains  of  their  deceased  relatives  is  such,  that  on  a  change 
of  abode,  or  for  some  other  reason,  they  often  disinter  the  bones,  and 
place  them  in  a  jar  for  removal. 

The  Chinese  occasionally  practice  a  species  of  forensic  medicine,  to 
ascertain  from  external  indications  the  mode  by  which  any  person  came 
to  his  death.  A  lad  had  one  day  been  found  dead  in  a  house  not  far 
from  the  factories  in  Canton,  and,  as  it  was  suspected  that  violence  had 
occasioned  his  death,  the  magistrate  instituted  his  court  near  to  the 
spot.  The  several  parties  suspected  were  brought  before  him  and  ex- 
amined, some  of  them  with  torture.  The  body  being  extended  upon 
boards,  a  quantity  of  mash,  composed  of  some  grain  in  a  boiling  hot 
state,  was  laid  over  it.  After  a  time  this  was  removed,  and  from  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  skin  and  muscles  they  appeared  to  form  a  judgment  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  individual's  death.  It  is  needless  to  remark  in  how 
few  cases  this  superficial  mode  of  examination  could  be  of  any  use  in 
ascertaining  the  multiform  ways  in  which  life  may  be  extinguished. 

When  a  physician  has  been  unsuccessful,  he  retires  with  the  common 
Chinese  adage,  "there  is  medicine  for  sickness,  but  none  for  fate."  The 
low  state  of  the  art  may  partly  be  explained  by  the  small  consideration 
in  which  the  profession  is  held,  and  by  there  being  no  public  schools  for 
medicine,  nor  any  way  of  acquiring  their  limited  knowledge,  except  by 
engaging  with  some  person  already  in  practice.  That  they  occasionally 
gain  considerable  reputation  and  profit  seems  clear  from  the  success 
of  a  fashionable  doctor  at  Canton,  of  whom  there  is  some  account  in 
the  Chinese  Eepository,  and  who  rose  from  the  condition  of  a  mere 
hawker  of  drugs  to  be  the  medical  oracle  of  the  neighborhood. 

This  doctor's  house  is  opened  early  in  the  morning  to  patients  who 


CHINA  IN  SCIENCE,  INVENTION  AND  DISCOVERY.        271 

call,  and  they  are  ushered  into  his  presence  one  by  one.  At  a  regular 
hour  he  sallies  out  to  see  those  who  send  for  him  to  come  to  their 
houses,  and  receives  what  they  choose  to  give  him.  He  is  a  man  of  few 
words,  and  either  will  not,  or  cannot,  explain  the  operation  of  his  pre- 
scriptions; but  people  are  said  very  generally  to  recover  under  his  care. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
RESOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH. 

The  Prize  Awaiting  the  World  in  China— Necessary  to  Create  the  Wants  in  Order  to  Supply 
Them— Chinese  Adaptability  to  All  Climates  and  Conditions— Mneral  Wealth  of  the 
Empire — Inadequate  Transportation  Facilities — Agricultural  Conditions — Supply  and 
Cost  of  Labor— Condition  of  the  Workmen — Opium— Textile  Industries — Execrable  Roads 
—Railway  Progress— Steamers,  Telegraphs  and  Posts. 

rHKEE  great  influences  have  acted  to  stimulate  the  explora- 
tion, the  development  and  the  opening  of  the  Chinese  Empire 
by  the  nations  of  the  Western  World.  One  has  been  the 
unselfish  desire  of  the  Christian  church  to  convert  to  its  faith 
the  millions  of  benighted  Chinese  whom  they  believed  to  be  suffering 
for  want  of  the  Gospel;  one  has  been  the  curiosity  of  those  who  wanted 
to  see  the  strange  things  of  a  strange  land,  sometimes  sincere  students 
with  scientific  purpose,  sometimes  mere  wandering  adventurers;  one 
has  been  the  cupidity  of  energetic  traders, who,  hearing  from  missionary 
or  scientist  or  adventurer  of  the  marvelous  mineral,  agricultural  and 
commercial  possibilities  of  the  populous  country  yearned  for  a  share 
in  its  wealth  and  set  to  work  to  get  it. 

Since  the  dawn  of  history  this  commercial  spirit  has  gone  hand  in 
hahd  with  religion  and  adventure  to  stimulate  the  quest  for  new  lands. 
We  know  that  it  was  Cathay  which  Columbus  was  seeking,  to  convert 
the  natives  and  acquire  the  gold  when  he  blundered  upon  the  Western 
hemisphere.  Spanish,  Portuguese,  French,  Dutch  or  English,  alike, 
the  colonial  energies  of  the  early  centuries  inextricably  mingled  the 
converting  of  the  native  races  with  the  commercial  fruits  of  the  con- 
quest. So  it  is  to-day.  While  our  faithful,  hard-working  missionaries 
are  blazing  the  way  for  civilization  in  China,  the  merchants  of  the  world 
have  been  hastening  in  their  vessels  to  dig  out  of  the  Chinese  earth 
the  Chinese  gold,  to  buy  and  sell  and  transport  the  Chinese  crops,  to 
build  railways  across  China,  to  exploit  the  old  new  land  in  every  way 
that  modern  commercial  ingenuity  can  suggest,  and  all  for  their  own 
profit. 

Ko  land  in  the  world  offers  such  enticements  of  profit  for  "opening" 

373 


RESOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH.  273 

as  does  the  Chinese  empire.  Millions  upon  millions  of  people  have  yet 
to  be  provided  with  what  we  consider  the  simplest  and  cheapest  neces- 
sities. Once  they  are  taught  to  realize  what  they  lack,  what  we  con- 
sider their  wants,  their  power  to  purchase  will  be  the  only  limit  to  the 
Chinese  market  for  western  wares. 

The  greatest  difficulty  in  creating  the  demand  for  American  and 
European  goods  has  been  to  induce  the  Chinese  to  want  them.  Satis- 
fled  as  they  are  that  they  are  the  truly  civilized  people  of  the  world  and 
that  all  the  rest  are  "western  barbarians,"  they  can  smile  in  superiority 
at  the  suggestion  that  foreigners  can  furnish  them  anything  of  value. 
They  are  content  with  inadequate  transportation  and  primitive  arts 
and  sciences,  complacent  in  their  knowledge  of  the  classic  writings  of 
the  great  Confucius.  This  is  the  prize  waiting  for  commercial  conquest 
by  the  commercial  powers. 

The  Chinese  seem  to  be  the  only  race  of  people  who  are  equally 
serviceable  as  laborers  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  able  as  they  are  to 
adapt  themselves  to  any  manner  of  life  and  to  work  in  comfort  in  any 
climate  from  the  severest  St.  Petersburg  winter  to  the  hottest  summer 
weather  in  the  Dutch  East  Indies  or  the  Philippines.  Living  on  a  few 
cents  a  day  as  he  can,  tractable  to  discipline,  skillful  in  imitation  and 
deft  with  his  hands,  the  Chinaman  is  a  most  valuable  contribution  to 
the  world's  force.  The  Chinaman  himself  is  China's  most  valuable 
natural  and  industrial  resource.  Whether  utilized  elsewhere  in  the 
world  or  applied  at  home  to  the  natural  wealth  of  his  country  by  the 
influence  and  under  the  direction  of  foreigners,  he  will  be  a  factor  to 
be  reckoned  with  at  all  times  to  come. 

China's  three  zones  into  which  division  the  country  naturally  falls, 
are  materially  different  in  climate,  characteristics  and  products. 
North  of  the  Hoangho  or  Yellow  river  the  principal  crops  are  barley 
and  millet,  the  winters  being  too  severe  to  permit  the  successful  culti- 
vation of  rice  and  tea.  The  central  zone  extends  southward  from  the 
Yellow  river  to  about  latitude  26,  roughly  speaking,  and  with  its  much 
milder  winters,  rice  and  wheat  are  profitably  grown.  The  better  kinds 
of  tea,  too,  as  well  as  cotton,  bamboo,  orange  and  sugar  cane  flourish 
here.  The  chief  product  of  Chinese  silk  and  cotton  is  from  the  eastern 
part  of  this  zone,  the  west  abounds  in  valuable  timber,  while  from  the 
central  portion  come  the  enormous  yields  of  grains  which  have  given 
it  the  name  of  "the  granary  of  China*"    The  southewi  zone,  extending 


274  RESOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH. 

to  the  sea  and  the  Indo-Chinese  boundary,  is  the  warmest  of  all,  and 
its  products,  while  much  the  same  as  those  of  the  center  of  the  empire, 
are  of  inferior  quality. 

No  such  limitation  exists  as  to  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  empire, 
which  depends  not  at  all  on  climate  or  meteorological  conditions. 
Through  all  the  zones  various  large  deposits  of  the  useful  and  the 
precious  metals  are  distributed,  coal,  iron,  copper,  lead,  tin,  mercury, 
gold  and  silver  among  others. 

It  is  the  absolutely  inadequate  transportation  facilities  which  are 
responsible  more  than  any  other  single  influence  for  the  backwardness 
of  all  mineral  industrien.  Coal,  for  instance,  which  is  found  in  rich 
deposits  throughout  the  empire,  and  the  use  of  which  has  been  brought 
to  great  perfection  in  the  household  and  in  the  arts,  is  not  available 
except  quite  near  the  mines  because  transportation  is  so  expensive  as  to 
put  it  out  of  reach  for  consumption.  Both  bituminous  and  anthracite 
coal  deposits  are  found  in  great  abundance,  the  veins  from  three  to  ten 
feet  thick  and  easily  worked.  Province  after  province  contains  this  val- 
uable fuel  in  enormous  quantities.  Shonsi  alone  contains  a  coal  field  far 
excelling  that  of  Pennsylvania,  and  iron  deposits  quite  as  rich  as  those 
of  that  American  state.  It  must  not  be  thought  that  this  wealth  is 
entirely  unutilized  by  the  Chinese,  for  since  the  days  of  Marco  Polo 
coal  has  been  mined  and  burned  in  considerable  quantities.  Neverthe- 
less, the  introduction  of  modern  transportation  and  modern  mining 
methods  would  multiply  the  value  of  the  industry  a  hundred  fold. 

Iron  deposits  are  widely  distributed  and  experts  declare  the  quality 
and  variety  of  ore  to  equal  our  own  deposits  in  the  United  States. 
With  limestone  also  generally  at  hand,  the  manufacturing  of  all  wares 
dependent  upon  iron  seems  one  of  the  certainties  of  China's  future. 

Salt,  zinc,  sulphur,  petroleum,  cinnabar,  and  other  common  or  rare 
minerals  show  rich  deposits  in  China,  in  addition  to  those  already 
named.  Almost  every  province  of  the  eighteen  in  China  proper  has  its 
own  mining  regions,  and  in  those  remoter  dependencies  of  the  empire 
— Manchuria,  Mongolia,  Jungaria,  Turkestan  and  Tibet — exist  realms 
of  riches  hardly  guessed  even  by  the  explorers. 

When  China's  resources  are  named,  the  first  thought  that  comes  to 
the  mind  of  everyone  is  the  tea  of  the  great  empire.  Tea,  which  was 
given  to  the  world  by  the  Chinese,  remains  still  the  largest  item  in  the 
foreign  trade.    This  is  true  in  spite  of  the  remarkable  inroads  that  have 


RESOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH.  275 

been  made  on  the  market  by  the  introduction  of  Indian  and  Ceylonese 
teas.  Not  every  one  in  China  drinlis  tea,  but  the  habit  is  so  general 
that  it  might  almost  be  called  universal.  The  Yangtse  valley  is  the 
tea-producing  region  and  all  the  brick  tea  for  the  Siberian,  Mongolian 
and  Tibetan  markets  is  prepared  at  Hankau.  The  machinery  and  pro- 
cesses by  which  the  work  of  compressing  the  tea  into  "bricks"  is  done  are 
exceedingly  interesting.  The  work  is  all  done  by  man-power,  no  engines 
being  employed.  The  best  of  the  Chinese  tea,  which  probably  is  the 
best  in  the  world,  is  bought  by  Russian  firms,  who  are  able  to  outbid 
purchasers  from  any  other  country.  The  Chinese  are  the  chief  competi- 
tors, for  they  enjoy  a  fine  cup  of  tea  as  much  as  anyone.  The  English, 
however,  usually  are  far  outbid  in  the  sales.  Under  the  influence  of  the 
tea  trade  and  Russian  power  in  North  China,  the  Russians  are  gradually 
driving  out  the  other  foreign  merchants  from  Ichang,  Hankau  and  the 
other  treaty  ports  on  the  river,  wherever  they  like  to  go. 

Tobacco  was  introduced  into  China  only  about  300  years  ago,  having 
come  from  Japan  by  way  of  Korea.  It  came  first  into  Manchuria  and 
then,  when  the  present  alien  dynasty  conquered  the  empire  and  the 
Manchus  came  into  power,  they  brought  the  new  habit  with  them. 
Now  it  is  almost  universal  throughout  the  empire,  and  Manchurian 
tobacco  is  the  most  famous  of  the  product. 

The  supply  and  cost  of  labor  are  of  prime  importance  in  considering 
industrial  conditions  in  China  as  elsewhere.  Bourne,  in  his  report 
on  the  trade  of  central  and  southern  China,  says:  "The  truth  is,  that 
a  man  of  good  physical  and  intellectual  qualities,  regarded  merely  as 
an  economical  factor,  is  turned  out  cheaper  by  the  Chinese  than  by  any 
other  race." 

Says  Colquhoun,  in  his.  noteworthy  book,  "China  in  Transr 
formation,"  in  regard  to  this  question:  "A  Chinese  coolie  can  be 
employed  for  from  six  to  eight  dollars  a  month,  and  considering  his 
greater  strength  and  endurance,  he  is  a  cheaper  servant  at  these  rates, 
either  in  or  out  of  his  own  country,  than  the  ordinary  native  of  India. 
The  people  are  sturdy  and  well-built,  those  of  North  China  being 
stronger  than  those  of  the  south  and  more  civil  to  foreigners.  The 
poorer  classes  live  almost  entirely  on  rice  and  vegetables,  to  which 
they  sometimes  add  small  pieces  of  fish  and  meat.  An  artisau's  wages 
vary,  according  to  his  skill,  from  10  cents  to  20  cents  a  day.  As  a  rule 
they  are  diligent  workmen,  being  good  carpenters,  slow  bricklayers, 


276  RESOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH. 

excellent  stone  cutters,  very  fair  navvies,  indifferent  blacksmiths,  and 
bad  at  forge-work  and  ironwork  generally.  They  do  not  appreciate 
the  necessity  of  exactness  or  of  fixing  work  truly  in  a  lathe,  but  they 
have  considerable  powers  of  imitation.  They  are  indifferent  miners. 
When  working  by  contract,  meals  are  provided  on  the  premises.  They 
work  generally  nine  hours  a  day,  lunching  about  noon  and  dining  after 
the  day's  work  is  done,  usually  on  rice,  fish  and  vegetables. 

"Workmen  are  divided  into  guilds,  are  turbulent  unless  kept  in 
subjection,  and  often  combine  to  raise  their  wages.  The  artisans  of  the 
south  are  superior  to  those  of  north  China  in  skill  and  activity.  The 
great  bulk  of  the  people  (two-thirds)  are  employed  in  productive  labor, 
i.  e.,  agriculture  and  fisheries,  one-tenth  probably  gaining  a  livelihood 
by  the  latter  industry.  About  one-third  are  manufacturers,  tradesmen, 
or  are  engaged  in  commerce.  The  extremely  overpopulated  condition 
of  certain  sections  of  the  country  has  had  a  powerful  influence  in 
moulding  the  national  character.  Under  the  existing  conditions  China 
cannot  support  her  people;  hence  large  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  are 
compelled  either  to  emigrate  or  to  live  in  boats  on  the  rivers  and  lakes." 

The  opium  war  and  its  relation  to  international  affairs  between 
China  and  England  were  discussed  in  the  historical  chapters  earlier 
in  this  work.  From  the  industrial  point  of  view  opium  is  one  of  the 
most  important  products  of  the  country,  the  source  of  large  profits  to 
those  handling  it  as  a  merchandise.  Chinese-grown  opium  is  gradually 
replacing  the  imported  article  from  India,  much  to  the  loss  of  the 
British-Indian  treasury.  Yunnan  and  Szechuan  opium  is  increasing 
in  quantity  and  improving  in  quality,  the  poppy  is  spreading  over  other 
provinces,  and  as  the  value  of  the  crop  is  double  that  of  wheat,  it  is  in 
many  regions  fast  displacing  that  worthier  product. 

The  textile  industries  of  China  have  been  famous  for  centuries,  silk 
and  cotton  being  widely  produced.  Chinese  silks  are  favorites  wherever 
they  are  known,  even  in  the  American  and  European  markets.  The 
export  trade  is  falling  more  and  more  into  the  control  of  foreign 
agencies  in  the  treaty  ports  and  the  same  influences  are  modifying  the 
industry  itself,  introducing  modern  machinery  as  rapidly  as  possible 
and  directing  the  manufacture  into  the  forms  most  popular  for  the 
export  trade. 

All  of  the  industries  thus  briefly  outlined  will  be  stimulated  by  the 
improved  transportation  facilities  for  which  concessions  have  been 


RESOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH.  277 

granted  and  plans  formed.  It  is  impossible  to  believe  that  the  astute 
Chinese  will  fail  to  recognize  the  value  of  railway  systems  when  once 
they  are  built,  even  though  the  surveying  of  the  lines  and  the  incon- 
siderate actions  of  engineers  and  "promoters"  were  largely  responsible 
for  the  outbreak  of  the  Boxer  difficulties. 

The  Grand  Canal,  famous  for  generations,  is  an  evidence  that  the 
Chinese  themselves  have  been  ready  to  promote  convenient  transport- 
ation by  the  means  at  their  command.  This  connected  series  of  rivers, 
lakes,  marshes  and  canals,  in  former  times  before  the  inflow  of  the 
Hoangho  failed,  afforded  uninterrupted  communication  north  and  south 
through  the  empire  all  the  way  between  Canton  and  Peking.  It  was 
crowded  with  traffic,  contributing  immensely  to  the  commerce  of  the 
Chinese  people.  But  of  late  years  it  has  fallen  out  of  repair  and  no 
longer  serves  its  former  important  place. 

The  roads  of  the  empire  seem  to  be  the  worst  in  the  world.  Where 
travel  by  water  is  impossible,  coolies  carry  passengers  in  sedan-chairs, 
sometimes  covering  a  distance  of  thirty-five  miles  daily  for  weeks  in 
succession.  Baggage  and  freight  are  carried  by  the  same  bearers,  who 
sling  the  burdens  to  poles  resting  on  their  shoulders.  Ponies,  mules 
and  oxen  are  used  as  pack  animals  or  to  drag  the  heavy  country  carts 
over  the  atrocious  roads.  Camels,  too,  are  used  around  Peking  and  in 
Manchuria,  Mongolia  and  Turkestan. 

From  Peking  the  best  of  the  high  roads  radiate  east,  north  and 
west  toward  remote  parts  of  the  empire,  but  even  these  are  almost 
intolerable  measured  by  our  standards.  They  follow  the  natural  trade 
routes  to  Manchuria,  Siberia,  Mongolia  and  Turkestan,  however,  and 
in  general  will  be  the  routes  of  such  railways  as  are  constructed  from 
the  capital.  Railways  have  been  constructed  from  Peking  to  Tientsin, 
thence  to  Kin-chau,  and  around  the  Gulf  or  Pechili  to  Niuchuang. 
Here  this  line  connects  with  the  Russian  railway  starting  at  Port 
Arthur  and  extending  northward  past  Niuchuang  by  way  of  Mukden 
to  Tsitsikar  and  Harbin,  where  lines  diverge  east  to  Vladivostok  and 
northwest  to  a  connection  with  the  Siberian  railway  for  European 
Russia^  The  hostilities  in  Manchuria  resulted  in  the  destruction  of 
much  of  the  work  that  had  been  done  in  the  construction  of  these  lines, 
but  with  the  restoration  of  peace  the  work  will  be  resumed  and  renewed 
promptly  so  that  rail  connection  with  TJurope  will  be  assured  within  a 
short  time.    The  established  termsi  of  final  peace  are  sure  to  confirm 


278  MSOURCES  AND  INDUSTRIAL  WEALTH. 

the  railway  grants  made  for  the  construction  of  lin>es  thro-ughout  China 
proper  to  English,  Belgian,  German,  French,  Russian,  Italian  and 
American  capitalists  so  that  the  rapid  improvement  of  internal  com- 
munication is  assured.  Steamer  lines,  too,  are  multiplying  rapidly  on 
the  great  river  systems  with  which  the  Chinese  empire  is  so  richly 
provided. 

The  Imperial  telegraph  systems  extend  throughout  the  empire  and 
connect  China  by  land  wires  with  India,  Burmah,  Siberia  and  European 
Russia.  Banking  systems  in  the  commercial  centers  are  reasonably 
complete.  The  Chinese  postoffice  system  is  slow  and  primitive,  but 
surprisingly  complete  and  safe. 

It  is  apparent  that  the  opening  of  the  great  empire  to  western 
methods  of  industry  and  commerce  will  mark  an  important  step  in 
the  progress  of  China  and  the  world. 

A  brief  review  of  the  labor  question  as  it  exists  in  China*  follows, 
embodying  the  knowledge  of  one  who  has  lived  in  the  empire  for  a 
number  of  years  and  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  all  the  conditions. 
He  writes  as  follows: 

"The  ^squeeze'  system  is  so  universal  in  China  that  it  has  to  be  taken 
into  consideration  in  discussing  the  wage  question.  If  a  man's  op- 
portunities to  squeeze  are  large  his  wages  will  be  small.  Any  employe 
who  purchases  or  gives  contracts  for  his  employer  will  have  only  a 
nominal  wage,  or  none  at  all,  for  it  is  recognized  that  he  will  compen- 
sate himself  from  extortion  of  the  people  under  him,  or  dependent  upon 
his  patronage. 

"The  man  who  has  no  opportunity  whatever  to  squeeze  is  paid  only 
the  lowest  possible  pittance  capable  of  supporting  life.  This  varies 
with  the  price  of  foodstuffs,  and  as  transportation  facilities  are  very 
poor  often  makes  considerable  difference  in  Avages  within  100  miles. 
For  instance,  in  Chinanfu,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Shantung,  flour 
of  good  quality  can  be  bought  for  25  cash  per  catty.  At  cities  two  days 
distance  by  mule  or  donkey  the  price  is  nearly  twice  as  much. 

"Usually  employers  of  large  numbers  of  men  feed  their  employes  and 
pay  them  still  smaller  wages.  But  if  the  laborer  buys  his  own  food  the 
following  scale  may  be  taken  as  accurate  for  Qiina  north  of  Shanghai. 
I  am  informed  that  it  is  much  the  same  all  over  China,  but  have  no  per- 
sonal knowledge  south  of  Shanghai. 

"This  scale  applies  only  to  natives  employing  natives.    Foreigners 


RESOURCES  AND   INDUSTRIAL   WEALTH.  270 

employing  Chinese  always  have  to  pay  higher  rates.    The  wages  are  cal- 
culated by  the  day  in 'United  States  money: 

Farm  laborers $0.04i  to  $0.09 

Coolies    04    to  .Ou 

Carpenters 07^  to  .22 

Masons 07^  to  .20 

Stone  cutters 05    to  .10 

Carters 05    to  .10 

Miners    05     to  .10 

Clerks  in  stores 05    to  .20 

Secretaries  in  yamens 25     to  1.00 

Teachers,  public  10    to  .20 

Teachers,  private 10    to  .50 

Policemen    04    ta  .08 

Soldiers    06     to  .10 

Sailors    05     to  .07 

Cooks Nominal. 

"Since  the  incoming  o-f  foreigners,  foreign  machinery  an'd  railways 
a  limited  number  of  men  have  obtained  employment  at  the  ports  at 
much  higher  wages,  indicated  as  follows : 

Machinists |0.20  to  |0.50 

Engine  drivers 30  to     1.00 

Firemen 10  to      .30 

Weavers 10  to       .25 

Coachmen 10  to       .20 

"Guilds  have  existed  from  very  early  times  and  regulate  in  some  de- 
gree in  some  places  the  price  of  labor.  But  as  competition  is  Yerj  great 
and  the  country  in  most  places  overcrowded,  the  price  of  food  for  the 
day's  absolute  need  is  about  the  price  of  labor.  A  ma-n  has  little  or 
nothing  left  after  paying  for  his  food,  so  that  to  obtain  clothing  is  often 
a  matter  of  difficulty.  The  surplus  after  the  daj^'s  food  is  more  often 
expended  in  opium  or  gambled  away  than  put  on  the  laborer's  back. 
Misery  in  winter  is  consequently  universal. 

"Strikes  ordered  by  guilds  occasionally  occur,  and  they  a^e  generally 
successful,  as  they  are  never  undertaken  except  in  direct  extremity  and 
for  an  otherwise  irremediable  evil. 

"•The  wage-earning  classes  of  China  are  a  patient,  uncomplaining, 
contented  people,  without  ambition,  and  truly  are,  as  the  governor  of 


280  RESOURCES  AND   INDUSTRIAL    WEALTH. 

Peking  once  said  to  me,  'Like  horses  and  cows  and  in  nowise  more  in- 
telligent.' " 

Supplementary  to  this  is  a  review  of  Chinese  foreign  trade  con- 
tributed by  John  F.  Bass,  a  well-known  American  correspondent,  writ- 
ing from  Peking  last  May,  only  a  month  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the 
Boxers,    He  says  in  part: 

"Peking,  Maj  12. — China's  foreign  trade  is  divided  among  England, 
the  United  States,  Germany  and  Japan.  Russia,  although  she  plays 
the  most  important  part  politically  in  China,  has  as  yet  no  trade  which 
in  the  least  justifies  her  aggressive  policy.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
as  yet  all  industries  in  Siberia  are  undeveloped  and  transportation 
has  been  so  difftcult  as  to  render  trade  impossible  except  by  caravans. 
The  Siberian  railroad,  now  rapidly  nearing  completion,  is  intended  not 
only  ais  a  military  instrument,  but  also  as  a  means  of  opening  up  Si- 
beria ix>  the  coanmerce  of  the  east.  How  eagerly  the  Russians  are  push- 
ing their  raili*oad  will  be  understood  when  it  is  known  that  within  a 
short  time  the  Russian  government  entered  into  a  contract  with  a  large 
English  firm  in  Tientsin  to  furnish  40,000  coolies  from  China  to  push 
the  railroad  to  rapid  completion. 

"Russian  interest  in  China,  therefore,  is  purely  political.  I  believe 
that  this  policy  has  for  its  purpose  the  future  trade  necessities  of  Si- 
beria, but  for  the  present  the  policy  of  Russia  must  be  the  acquisition 
of  territory  and  governing  influence,  rather  than  the  expansion  of  trade, 
which  she  has  not  got  and  cannot  acquire  for  forty  years. 

"It  is  for  this  reason  that,  while  one  meets  in  the  east  English, 
American  and  German  merchants,  one  sees  only  Russian  officers  and 
officials.  It  is  also  for  this  reason  that  Russia  cannot  have  the  same 
interefeit  in  such  a  reform  of  the  government  in  China  as  would  enable 
English,  German,  American,  Japanese  and  French  merchants  to  get  a 
permanent  footing  in  the  interior. 

"Of  the  foreign  trade  of  China  England  has  more  than  60  per  cent. 
She  seems,  however,  to  rest  on  her  past  efforts,  content  with  a  field 
won  wJien  there  was  little  or  no  competition.  Her  manufacturers  do  not 
realize  that  goods  which  have  held  the  market  in  former  years  will  not 
answer  where  Germany  and  Japan  are  competing  for  the  same  market. 
The  En.glish  merchant  says  these  goods  have  answered  in  the  past,  why 
make  any  changes? 

"Japan,  from  her  proximity  and  kinship  to  China,  ought  to  have  the 


BESOUBCES  AND   INDU8TBIAL   WEALTH.  281 

advantage  in  competing  for  the  trade  of  China,  but  Japanese  merchants 
and  manufacturers  suffer  from  inexperience  and  also  from  a  streak  of 
dishonesty  and  unreliability  which  greatly  impairs  their  credit  not 
only  in  the  east  but  also  in  Europe  and  America.  For  this  reason  Japan 
is  doing  her  exporting  and  importing  with  European  countries  and 
America  through  foreign  houses  resident  in  Japan. 

"The  Chinese  merchant,  on  the  other  hand,  is  famous  throughout 
the  east  for  his  commercial  honesty.  He  may  cheat  you  in  making  a 
bargain,  but  once  his  contract  is  made  he  holds  to  it,  whether  written  or 
oral.  This  commercial  integrity  in  a  country  where  the  government 
is  so  corrupt  is  due  to  the  fact  that  in  China,  unlike  Japan,  merchants 
have  always  been  near  the  top  of  the  social  ladder. 

"The  United  States  in  its  efforts  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  Chi- 
nese market  stands  between  Great  Britain  and  Germany.  Not  so  con- 
servative as  the  English,  the  American  manufacturer  has  not  yet  felt 
the  pressure  of  competition  at  home  which  makes  the  German  so  eager 
to  manufacture  especially  for  the  eastern  market.  The  east  is  still  for 
the  American  a  place  where  surplus  manufactures  may  be  got  rid  of, 
rather  than  a  market  for  which  a  distinct  class  of  goods  must  be  made. 

"The  reason  for  this  is  that  American  merchants  have  not  so  much 
sought  the  markets  of  the  east  as  that  the  trade  has  been  found  for 
them  by  others.  That  is  to  say,  American  goods  are  shipped  to  China 
in  English  bottoms,  and  for  the  most  part  pass  through  the  hands  of 
foreigners,  especially  Englishmen.  There  are  few  Americans  on  the 
spot,  and  orders  come  through  foreign  firms  because  American  goods 
happen  to  suit  their  purpose.  Thus  the  American  manufacturer  is 
often  in  ignorance  of  what  is  wanted. 

"There  is  to-day  a  pressing  necessity  for  Americans  who  shall  live 
in  China  to  keep  home  manufacturers  informed  of  what  is  really  wanted. 

"Another  reason  why  American  manufacturers  have  not  a  wider  field 
in  the  east  is  because  they  do  not  yet  feel  the  necessity  for  such  a  mar- 
ket. This  leads  to  a  certain  hand-to-mouth  policy,  into  which  dishon- 
esty occasionally  creeps.  For  instance,  only  recently  the  American 
consul  in  Yokohama  was  called  upon  to  certify  that  in  a  cargo  of  cotton 
sent  to  Japan  from  America  there  were  several  bales  weighted  in  the 
middle  with  plaster  of  paris.  Such  incidents  are  most  unfortunate, 
especially  since  American  merchants  here  complain  of  Japanese  dis- 
honesty.   It  is  more  to  be  regretted  because  American  cotton  has  only 


282  BES0UBCE8  AND   INDUSTRIAL    WEALTH. 

in  the  last  few  years  been  exported  directly  from  America.  Before  that 
it  all  came  through  Liverpool  in  the  hands  of  English  merchants.  It 
was  only  through  the  efforts  of  our  foreign  consul,  Mr.  McKiver,  in 
President  Cleveland's  term,  that  the  Japanese  manufacturers  were  led 
to  buy  their  cotton  directly  from  America.  Japan  is  no  longer  so  far 
out  of  the  world  that  commercial  irregularity  will  not  come  home  to 
roost  on  the  shoulders  of  the  wrongdoers. 

"Despite  all  this,  the  Chinese  trade  of  the  United  States  has  made 
wonderful  progress  in  the  last  decade.  American  engines,  rails  and 
structural  iron  are  underselling  the  world.  The  foreign  trade  of  Si- 
beria, such  as  it  is,  is  American.  In  Port  Arthur  two  American  and  one 
German  are  the  only  foreign  firms,  and  much  of  the  material  with  which 
the  Russian  government  is  provisioning  Port  Arthur  is  of  American 
manufacture. 

"Foreign  manufacturers  of  cotton  yarns  in  Hongkong  and  Shanghai 
say  that  they  cannot  compete  with  Fall  River  yarns  because  their  labor 
is  so  inferior  to  American  labor.  In  China  they  have  to  employ  three 
women  for  one  frame  of  spindles,  whereas  with  us  one  man  attends  to 
half  a  dozen  frames.  The  wages  of  one  Chinese  woman  may  only  be 
25  cents,  as  compared  with  the  |2  or  $3  of  the  American  workman,  but 
the  eighteen  women  required  to  run  six  spindles  will  draw  |4.50  wages. 

"The  Chinese  buy  this  yarn  and  manufacture  their  own  cloth.  They 
will  not  buy  the  broad  width  made  by  foreigners.  English  manufac- 
turers refuse  to  make  the  narrow  width,  which  would  sell  in  the  Chi- 
nese market,  on  account  of  the  extra  expense  involved  in  setting  up 
new  machinery.  It  is  reported  here  that  next  year  certain  American 
manufacturers  are  going  to  make  the  narrow  width  of  cloth  especially 
for  the  Chinese  market.  If  this  is  true  it  shows  a  new  and  commendable 
enterprise  in  our  merchants  in  the  east. 

"In  the  northern  portion  of  China  our  consuls  complain  that  our 
merchants  are  not  so  eager  to  get  the  Chinese  trade  that  they  are  will- 
ing to  put  up  their  goods  in  such  packages  as  the  Chinese  merchants 
desire. 

"The  conclusion  that  forces  itself  upon  the  observer  is  that  American 
commerce  has  a  tremendous  opportunity  in  Cathay  provided  the  Amer- 
ican merchant  throws  himself  into  the  business  with  the  same  vigor 
and  enterprise  which  he  shows  at  home. 

"Certain  dangers  interfere  with  such  a  trade  development.    In  China 


RESOURCES  AND   INDUSTRIAL   WEALTH.  283 

commerce  and  politics  are  inextricably  interwoven.  According  to  the 
treaties  with  China,  foreign  merchants  cannot  live  in  the  interior  of 
the  country.  All  goods,  therefore,  must  pass  from  treaty  ports  directly 
into  the  hands  of  the  Chinese.  This  would  offer  no  danger  to  foreign 
trade  were  it  not  for  the  'octroi,'  or  'likin,'  system  under  which  China 
suffers,  and  the  insufferable  greed  of  officials.  The  'likin'  tax  is  a  tax 
on  goods  in  transit  from  the  port  of  entry  to  their  final  destination. 
It  is  the  most  irregular  and  unjust  of  all  Chinese  trade  regulations,  be- 
cause it  differs  in  different  parts  of  China  with  the  individual  greed 
of  local  officials. 

"Now,  according  to  treaty,  foreign  merchandise  is  allowed,  by  pay- 
ing an  extra  duty  at  the  port  of  entry,  to  pass  untaxed  from  the  port  of 
entry  to  its  final  destination.  Chinese  officials  are  constantly  infringing 
on  these  treaty  rights,  and  so  slow  is  the  diplomatic  machinery  to  re- 
dress that  merchants  prefer  to  submit  to  individual  losses.  The  abuses 
of  the  treaty  regulations  in  regard  to  'likin'  taxes  in  a  great  measure 
diminish  the  profits  on  trade  and  discourage  merchants. 

"A  further  and  great  danger  to  foreign  trade  lies  in  the  instability  of 
the  central  government  and  the  concomitant  uprisings  and  revolts, 
which  the  Chinese  police  and  army  are  either  unable  or  unwilling  to 
suppress  promptly.  The  present  hostility  of  the  government  to  foreign- 
ers accentuates  the  difficulty  of  developing  the  Chinese  market  by  any 
other  process  but  slow  wringing  of  privileges  by  diplomatic  agents 
from  the  unwilling  Manchu  dynasty.  If  this  process  is  found  too  slow 
for  the  growing  desires  of  foreigners  for  Asiatic  commerce  then  we  may 
expect  the  disruption  of  China  into  'spheres  of  influence,'  and  the  pre- 
dictions are  that  such  a  division  would  inevitably  lead  to  a  great  inter- 
national war," 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN   KOREA. 

Causes  of  the  War — ^Japan's  Declaration — China's  Reply — Attack  on  the  Japanese  Minister 
— First  Engagement  at  Sea — Alliance  Between  Japan  and  Korea — The  Battle  at  the 
Yalu  River — The  Great  Naval  Engagement  of  the  War— Invasion  of  the  Second  Japanese 
Army  Corps — The  Advance  on  Port  Arthur — Capture  of  the  City — Horrible  Scenes  ol 
Slaughter— The  Chinese  Sue  for  Peace — Terms  of  the  Treaty. 

FOR  a  long  time  Korea  had  been  a  source  of  jealousy  and  con- 
tention between  China  and  Japan.  Small,  weak  empire  as 
it  was,  it  had  drawn  most  of  its  civilization,  art  and  letters 
from  China,  at  the  same  time  yielding  a  certain  suzerainty 
to  the  Chinese  emperor.  In  later  years,  however,  Japanese  energy  and 
progress  had  begun  to  make  themselves  felt  until  Japan  considered 
that  Korea  properly  belonged  in  her  "sphere  of  influence."  Japan  began 
to  dominate  the  Korean  court,  the  Korean  finances  and  the  Korean 
commerce.  Friction  was  bound  to  occur  among  oriental  potentates  and 
magnates  thus  brought  into  opposition  and  the  outbreak  of  the  China- 
Japanese  war  of  1894-95  was  no  surprise. 

The  war  was  of  more  consequence  to  the  rest  of  the  world  than  the 
magnitude  of  the  conflicts  themselves  would  have  promised.  In  the 
first  place  in  its  naval  engagements  it  afforded  tests  of  the  fighting 
capacity  of  modern  ironclad  men-of-war  better  than  any  others  since 
naval  architecture  took  its  present  forms.  More  important  still,  the 
end  of  the  war  and  the  terms  of  peace  established  conditions  from 
which  may  be  traced  much  of  the  trouble  that  has  kept  the  Far  East 
on  the  edge  of  war  ever  since,  and  shared  in  making  the  present  Chinese 
complications  what  they  are.  The  uninterrupted  success  of  the 
Japanese  arms  showed  to  the  world  the  weakness  of  Chinese  preten- 
sions and  organization,  the  dishonesty  of  Chinese  oflficials  and  the  im- 
potency  of  the  government. 

In  the  limited  space  at  our  command  in  which  to  recount  the  story 
of  the  war  it  is  not  possible  to  give  an  extended  account  of  the  causes 
which  led  to  the  conflict.  The  disputed  question  of  the  right  of  the 
two  nations  to  keep  troops  on  Korean  soil,  a  right  which  both  countries 

284 


""WR^                          ^MMMP^^^^^^H 

' — 1 

B^^S 

jp^^p 

i 

-< 

\r 

"j| 

^^^^3 

A 

i,    M^ 

F '^'^^yHl 

^■^^^t'-^ 

[r:g 

k 

L 

TV 

^ 

Y'.^^Piri 

■     '     .^       !     . 

V  -  \  .^HIKj^H 

Ih^ 

O 

I 
o 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  287 

had  exercised  more  than  once,  gave  the  excuse  for  a  war  which  years 
of  hereditary  animosities  had  made  inevitable.  More  than  300  years 
ago  the  Japanese  were  routed  in  Korea  by  the  soldiers  of  the  "Son  of 
Heaven,"  and  time  never  healed  the  breach  then  made.  The  claims 
made  by  the  two  nations  in  justification  of  their  action  can  best  be 
expressed  in  their  declarations  of  war.    The  Japanese  was  as  follows: 

"We,  by  the  grace  of  heaven,  Emperor  of  Japan,  seated  on  a  throne 
occupied  by  the  same  dynasty  from  time  immemorial,  do  hereby  make 
proclamation  to  all  our  loyal  and  brave  subjects  as  follows:  We  hereby 
declare  war  against  China,  and  we  command  each  and  all  of  our  com- 
petent authorities,  in  obedience  to  our  wish,  and  with  a  view  to  the 
attainment  of  the  national  end,  to  carry  on  hostilities  by  sea  and  land 
against  China,  with  all  the  means  at  their  disposal,  consistently  with 
the  law  of  nations. 

"Over  twenty  years  have  now  elapsed  since  our  accession  to  the 
throne.  During  this  time  we  have  consistently  pursued  a  policy  of 
peace,  being  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  undesirability  of 
being  in  strained  relations  with  other  nations,  and  have  always  directed 
our  ofiicials  diligently  to  endeavor  to  promote  friendship  with  all  the 
treaty  powers.  Fortunately  our  intercourse  with  the  nations  has  con- 
tinued to  increase  in  intimacy. 

"We  were  therefore  unprepared  for  such  a  conspicuous  want  of 
amity  and  good  faith,  as  has  been  manifested  by  China  in  her  conduct 
towards  this  country  in  connection  with  the  Korean  affairs.  Korea  is 
an  independent  state.  She  was  first  introduced  into  the  family  of 
nations  by  the  advice  and  under  the  guidance  of  Japan.  It  has,  how- 
ever, been  China's  habit  to  designate  Korea  as  her  dependency,  and 
both  openly  and  secretly  to  interfere  with  her  domestic  affairs.  At  the 
time  of  the  recent  civil  insurrection  in  Korea,  China  despatched  troops 
thither,  alleging  that  her  purpose  was  to  afford  succor  to  her  dependent 
state.  We,  in  virtue  of  the  treaty  concluded  with  Korea  in  1882,  and 
looking  to  possible  emergencies,  caused  a  military  force  to  be  sent  to 
that  country,  wishing  to  procure  for  Korea  a  freedom  from  the  calamity 
of  perpetual  disturbance,  and  thereby  to  maintain  the  peace  of  the  east 
in  general.  Japan  invited  China's  co-operation  for  the  accomplishment 
of  that  object;  but  China,  advancing  various  pretexts,  declined  Japan's 
proposal. 

"Thereupon  Japan  advised  Korea  to  reform  her  administration,  so 


288  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

that  order  might  be  preserved  at  home,  and  so  that  the  country  might 
be  able  to  discharge  the  responsibilities  and  duties  of  an  independent 
state  abroad.  Korea  has  already  consented  to  undertake  the  task,  but 
China  has  insidiously  endeavored  to  circumvent  and  thwart  Japan's 
purpose.  She  has  further  procrastinated  and  endeavored  to  make  war- 
like preparations,  both  on  land  and  at  sea.  When  these  preparations 
were  completed,  she  not  only  sent  large  re-enforcements  to  Korea  with 
a  view  to  the  attainment  of  her  ambitious  designs,  but  even  carried  her 
arbitrariness  and  insolence  to  the  extent  of  opening  fire  upon  our  ships 
in  Korean  waters. 

"China's  plain  object  is  to  make  it  uncertain  where  the  responsi- 
bility resides  for  preserving  peace  and  order  in  Korea,  and  not  only 
to  weaken  the  position  of  that  state  in  the  family  of  nations — a  position 
obtained  for  Korea  through  Japanese  efforts — but  also  to  obscure 
the  significance  of  the  treaties  recognizing  and  confirming  that  position. 
Such  conduct  on  the  part  of  China  is  not  only  a  direct  injury  to  the 
rights  and  interests  of  this  empire,  but  also  a  menace  to  the  permanent 
peace  and  tranquillity  of  the  Orient.  Judging  from  her  action,  it  must 
be  concluded  that  China  from  the  beginning  has  been  bent  upon  sacri- 
ficing peace  to  the  attainment  of  her  sinister  objects.  In  this  situation, 
ardent  as  our  wish  is  to  promote  the  prestige  of  the  country  abroad  by 
strictly  peaceful  methods,  we  find  it  impossible  to  avoid  a  formal  dec- 
laration of  war  against  China.  It  is  our  earnest  wish  that  by  the  loyalty 
and  valor  of  our  faithful  subjects,  peace  may  soon  be  permanently 
restored,  and  the  glory  of  the  empire  be  augmented  and  completed." 

China  promptly  accepted  the  issue  thus  formally  raised,  and  pub- 
lished a  declaration  in  substance  as  follows : 

"Korea  has  been  our  tributary  for  the  last  two  hundred  odd  years. 
She  has  given  us  tribute  all  of  this  time,  which  is  a  matter  known  to 
the  world.  For  the  last  dozen  years  or  so  Korea  has  been  troubled  by 
repeated  insurrections;  and  we  in  sympathy  with  our  small  tributary 
have  as  repeatedly  sent  succor  to  her  aid,  eventually  placing  a  resident 
in  her  capital  to  protect  Korea's  interests.  In  the  fourth  moon  (May) 
of  this  year,  another  rebellion  was  begun  in  Korea,  and  the  king  repeat- 
edly asked  again  for  aid  from  us  to  put  down  the  rebellion.  We  then 
ordered  Li  Hung  Chang  to  send  troops  to  Korea,  and  they  having  barely 
reached  Asan,  the  rebels  immediately  scattered,  but  the  'Wojen'  (the 
ancient  epithet  for  the  Japanese  expressive  of  contempt  translated  'pig- 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  289 

mies'  or  more  strictly  according  to  usage  'vermin'),  without  any  cause 
whatever  sent  their  troops  to  Korea  and  entered  Seoul,  the  capital  of 
Korea,  re-enforcing  them  constantly  until  they  have  exceeded  ten  thou- 
sand men. 

'•In  the  meantime  the  Japanese  forced  the  Korean  king  to  change 
his  system  of  government,  showing  a  disposition  in  every  way  of  bully- 
ing Koreans.  It  was  found  a  difficult  matter  to  reason  with  the  'Wojen.' 
Although  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  assisting  our  tributaries,  we  have 
never  interfered  with  their  internal,  government.  Japan's  treaty  with 
Korea  was  as  one  country  with  another.  There  is  no  law  for  sending 
large  armies  to  bully  a  country  in  this  way  and  to  tell  it  to  change  its 
system  of  government.  Various  powers  are  united  in  condemning  the 
conduct  of  the  Japanese,  and  can  give  no  reasonable  name  to  the  army 
she  now  has  in  Korea.  Nor  has  Japan  been  amenable  to  reason,  nor 
will  she  listen  to  an  exhortation  to  withdraw  her  troops  and  confer 
amicably  upon  what  should  be  done  in  Korea.  On  the  contrary,  Japan 
has  shown  herself  belligerent  without  regard  to  appearances,  and  has 
been  increasing  her  forces  there.  Her  conduct  alarmed  the  people  of 
Korea  as  well  as  our  merchants  there,  and  so  we  sent  more  troops  over 
to  protect  them.  Judge  of  our  surprise  then,  when  half  way  to  Korea 
a  number  of  the  'Wojen'  ships  suddenly  appeared,  and  taking  advantage 
of  our  unpreparedness  opened  fire  on  our  transports  at  a  spot  on  the 
sea  coast  near  Asan,  and  damaged  them,  thus  causing  us  to  suffer  from 
their  treacherous  conduct  which  could  not  be  foretold  by  us. 

"As  Japan  has  violated  the  treaties  and  not  observed  the  interna- 
tional laws,  and  is  now  running  rampant  with  her  false  and  treacherous 
actions,  beginning  hostilities  herself,  and  laying  herself  open  to  condem- 
nation by  the  various  powers  at  large,  we,  therefore,  desire  to  make 
it  known  to  the  world  that  we  have  always  followed  the  paths  of  phil- 
anthropy and  perfect  justice  throughout  the  whole  complications,  while 
the  'Wojen'  and  others  have  broken  all  the  laws  of  nations  and  treaties 
which  it  passed  our  patience  to  bear  with.  Hence  we  command  Li  Hung 
Chang  to  give  strict  orders  to  our  various  armies  to  hasten  with  all 
speed  to  root  the  Wojen  out  of  their  lairs.  He  is  to  send  successive 
armies  of  valiant  men  to  Korea,  in  order  to  have  the  Koreans  freed  from 
bondage.  We  also  command  Manchu  generals,  viceroys,  and  governors 
of  the  maritime  provinces,  as  well  as  the  commanders  in  chief  of  the 
various  armies  to  prepare  for  war,  and  to  make  every  effort  to  fire  on 


290  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

tne  Wojen  ships  if  they  come  into  our  ports,  and  utterly  destroy  them. 
We  exhort  our  generals  to  refrain  from  the  least  laxity  in  obeying  our 
commands,  in  order  to  avoid  severe  punishment  at  our  hands.  Let  all 
know  this  edict  as  if  addressed  to  themselves  individually." 

For  some  months  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  between  China 
and  Japan  there  had  been  a  number  of  movements  against  the  govern- 
ment of  Korea  by  rebellious  natives.  In  May,  1894,  the  Korean  troops 
engaged  a  large  band  of  rebels  at  Reisan,  meeting  with  overwhelming 
defeat;  and  late  in  the  same  month  Zenshu  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
insurgents.  Later,  a  plot  was  discovered  to  blow  up  the  government 
building  at  Seoul,  the  capital,  during  an  official  session  of  the  king  and 
his  ministers,  and  warrants  were  issued  for  over  a  thousand  of  the 
suspected  conspirators.  The  Korean  government  appealed  to  Peking 
for  assistance,  and  a  detachment  of  2,000  Chinese  soldiers  were  at  once 
despatched  to  the  port  of  Asan. 

By  the  treaty  then  in  force  between  China  and  Japan,  neither  nation 
could  land  troops  on  Korean  soil  without  giving  the  other  nation  notice 
of  the  intended  action;  and  as  soon  as  the  government  at  Tokio  heard 
of  this  move  on  the  part  of  China  they  retaliated  by  landing  6,000  Japa- 
nese soldiers  on  the  western  coast  of  Korea,  and  stationing  a  force  at 
Seoul,  for  the  protection  of  the  Japanese  legation. 

Mr.  Otori,  the  Japanese  minister  to  the  Korean  court,  started  to  keep 
an  appointment  with  the  king  of  Korea  on  July  23.  He  was  accompa- 
nied by  an  armed  escort,  and  had  nearly  reached  the  palace  when  he 
was  fired  upon  by  the  troops  of  the  Ming  dynasty,  which  was  the  pro- 
Chinese  faction  in  Korea.  The  fire  was  promptly  returned  by  the  Japa- 
nese guard,  and  the  skirmish  resulted  in  the  Ming  forces  losing  eighty- 
seven  men,  killed  and  wounded;  while  the  Japanese  escaped  with  no 
loss  of  life,  and  but  three  men  slightly  wounded.  When  the  affray  was 
over  the  palace  w^as  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Otori  and  his  guard;  and 
the  pro-Chinese  element  had  lost  all  control  in  Korea. 

On  July  25,  one  week  before  the  declaration  of  war,  occurred  the 
first  battle  between  the  tw^o  nations  at  sea.  The  Chinese  government 
had  chartered  from  the  Indo-Chinese  Steam  Navigation  company  the 
British  steamers  Kow-shing,  Irene,  and  Fei  Ching,  and  a  number  of 
Chinese  merchant  steamers,  for  the  transportation  of  troops  to  Asan  to 
reinforce  the  Chinese  army  at  that  port.  The  Irene  sailed  on  July  21, 
with  1,150  troops,  and  the  Kow-shing  followed  on  July  23,  with  1,200 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  291 

troops  on  board.  About  nine  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  July  25,  the 
Kow-shing  was  sighted  by  three  Japanese  war  vessels,  one  of  which, 
the  Matsusima,  had  on  board  the  Japanese  admiral.  The  Kow-shing 
promptly  obeyed  a  signal  to  stop,  and  a  boarding  party  was  sent  from 
the  man-of-war.  The  officer  in  command,  after  a  careful  examination 
of  her  papers,  ordered  the  transport  to  follow.  This  the  captain  de- 
clined to  do,  for  the  reason  that  war  between  China  and  Japan  had  not 
been  declared,  and  the  Kow-shing  was  under  the  British  flag.  Besides, 
whatever  his  own  wishes  might  be  in  the  matter,  the  Chinese  com- 
mander positively  refused  to  permit  such  a  course.  The  boarding  party 
returned  to  the  Naniwa,  and  the  signal  immediately  came  "Quit  the 
ship  as  soon  as  possible."  The  Chinese  refused  to  allow  this,  whereupon 
the  Naniwa  steamed  into  position  at  a  distance  of  about  200  yards. 
The  story  of  what  followed  is  best  told  by  Mr.  Tamplin,  the  chief  officer 
of  the  Kow-shing: 

"The  Chinese  were  greatly  excited,  and  kept  drawing  their  fingers 
across  their  throats  in  order  to  show  us  what  we  might  expect.  The 
British  officers,  and  Captain  Von  Hennecken,  were  anxiously  gathered 
on  the  bridge,  and  the  bodyguards  were  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder 
watching  us  like  cats.  Two  executioners  fully  armed  were  told  off  to 
follow  the  captain  and  myself,  and  they  dogged  us  everywhere  with 
drawn  scepters.  About  one  o'clock  the  Naniwa  opened  fire,  first  dis- 
charging a  torpedo  at  the  Kow-shing,  which  did  not  strike  her.  The 
man-of-war  then  fired  a  broadside  of  five  heavy  guns,  and  continued 
firing  both  heavy  and  machine  guns  from  deck  and  tops  until  the  Kow- 
shing  sank  about  an  hour  later.  The  Kow-shing  was  first  struck  right 
amidships,  and  the  sound  of  the  crashing  and  splintering  was  almost 
deafening.  To  add  to  the  danger,  the  Chinese  rushed  to  the  other  side, 
causing  the  ship  to  heel  over  more  than  ever.  As  soon  as  the  Kow-shing 
was  struck  the  soldiers  made  a  rush.  I  rushed  from  the  bridge,  got  a 
life-belt,  and  jumped  overboard  forward.  While  in  the  wheel  house 
selecting  a  life-belt  I  passed  another  European,  but  I  had  no  time  to  see 
who  it  was.  It  was  a  regular  sauve  qui  pent.  Mr.  Wake,  our  third 
officer,  said  it  was  no  use  for  him  to  take  to  the  water,  as  he  could  not 
swim,  and  he  went  down  with  the  ship. 

"After  jumping  into  the  water  I  came  foul  of  the  chain,  down  which 
the  Chinese  were  swarming.  As  I  came  to  the  surface  the  boiler  ex- 
ploded with  terrific  noise.     I  looked  up  and  saw  Captain  Von  Han- 


292  WAB  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

necken  striking  out  vigorously.  Captain  Galsworthy,  the  master  of  the 
vessel,  was  also  close  by,  his  face  perfectly  black  from  the  explosion. 
All  of  us  went  in  the  direction  of  the  island  of  Shotai-ul,  which  was 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  northeast,  swimming  through  the  swarm 
of  dead  and  dying  Chinamen.  Bullets  began  to  strike  the  water  on 
every  side,  and  turning  to  see  whence  they  came,  I  saw  that  the  Chinese 
herding  around  the  only  part  of  the  Kow-shing  that  was  then  out  of 
water,  were  firing  at  us.  I  was  slightly  hit  on  the  shoulder,  and  in  order 
to  protect  my  head  covered  it  with  the  life-belt  until  I  got  clear  of  the 
sinking  vessel.  When  I  succeeded  in  doing  this,  and  got  away  from 
the  swarms  of  Chinamen,  I  swam  straight  for  the  Naniwa.  I  had  been 
in  the  water  nearly  an  hour  when  I  was  picked  up  by  one  of  the  Nani- 
wa's  boats.  While  in  the  water  I  passed  two  Chinese  warriors  clinging 
to  a  sheep  which  was  swimming  vigorously.  As  soon  as  I  was  on  board 
the  Naniwa's  boat,  I  told  the  officer  in*  which  direction  the  captain  had 
gone,  and  he  said  that  he  had  already  sent  another  boat  to  pick  him 
up.  By  this  time  only  the  Kow-shing's  masts  were  visible.  The  water 
was  however  covered  with  Chinese,  and  there  were  two  lifeboats,  from 
the  Kow-shing  crowded  with  soldiers.  The  Japanese  officer  informed 
me  that  he  had  been  ordered  by  signal  from  the  Naniwa  to  sink  these 
boats.  I  remonstrated,  but  he  fired  two  volleys  from  the  cutter,  turned 
back,  and  steamed  for  the  Naniwa.  No  attempt  was  made  to  rescue 
the  Chinese.  The  Naniwa  steamed  about  until  eight  o'clock  in  the 
eventing,  but  did  not  pick  up  any  other  Europeans." 

Out  of  the  1,200  men  on  the  transport,  less  than  200  escaped  with 
their  lives.  Gunboats  of  other  nations  which  were  n«ar  took  the  few 
Chinese  survivors  to  Chefoo.  The  captain  of  the  Kow-shing  was  saved 
by  a  fisherman's  boat,  and  made  his  way  back  to  China.  The  Irene  was 
more  fortunate,  as  she  escaped  a  war  vessel  on  the  night  of  July  23  by 
putting  out  her  lights,  and  reached  Asan  early  the  next  morning. 

On  July  26,  the  cruiser  Chih  Yuen  and  her  consort,  the  Kwang  Kai, 
were  fired  upon  by  the  Yoshino,  a  cruiser  of  the  Japanese  navy,  and  an 
exploding  shell  killed  the  crew  serving  one  gun.  T»he  steering  gear  of 
the  Chih  Yuen  was  disabled,  but  as  soon  as  she  could  get  sea-room  she 
manoeuvred  and  answered  the  fire  with  her  stern  gun,  and  succeeded 
in  destroying  the  bridge  of  her  opponent.  She  sent  a  second  shell,  which 
also  proved  effective,  when  the  Japanesje  ceased  firing  and  hoisted  the 
white  flag;  but  the  captain  of  the  Chinese  cruiser,  having  his  bow  guns 


WAR  WITB  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  293 

and  his  steering  gear  disabled,  decided  to  make  for  Wei-hai-wei,  and 
report  to  tlie  admiral.  A  shot  struck  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  Chih 
Yuen,  while  he  was  directing  his  men  through  the  tube,  killing  him 
instantly.  The  Chinese  lost  forty-two  killed  and  wounded;  the  Japa- 
nese suffering  somewhat  less. 

On  July  29,  the  Chinese  troops  having  left  their  fortifications  at 
Asan,  engaged  the  Japanese  army  under  General  Oshima,  at  Seikwan, 
and  met  with  overwhelming  defeat.  The  Chinese  had  2,800  men  in  the 
battle,  and  lost  100  killed  and  500  wounded;  while  the  Japanese  total 
loss  was  less  than  100.  The  Chinese  entrenchment  at  Chan  Hon  was 
taken,  and  during  the  night  they  evacuated  Asan,  leaving  large  quanti- 
ties of  ammunition  and  other  munitions  of  war  behind  them. 

Japan  now  hurried  troops  by  the  thousand  to  the  scene  of  action, 
and  soon  had  armies  stationed  wherever  it  appeared  that  they  were 
needed  to  carry  the  conflict  to  a  successful  issue.  The  authorities  at 
Tokio  refused  all  attempts  at  mediation  made  by  the  European  powers, 
and  as  belligerent  acts  were  multiplying  on  both  sides,  it  only  remained 
to  make  a  formal  declaration  of  war.  This  occurred  on  August  3,  when 
Japan  gave  to  the  world  her  statement  of  the  justice  of  her  cause. 

When  the  Chinese  troops  under  General  Yeh  were  driven  out  of 
Asan  they  struck  towards  the  northeast,  and,  accompanied  by  many 
Koreans  who  had  joined  their  forces,  they  broke  through  the  Japanese 
lines  at  Chung-ju,  and  reached  the  main  body  of  the  Chinese  army  at 
Ping-Y'ang,  on  August  23.  In  the  meantime  the  Japanese  were  also 
advancing  on  Ping-Yang,  and  the  opposing  forces  were  so  near  to  one 
another  that  frequent  skirmishes  occurred,  but  without  material  advan- 
tage to  either  side.  Some  6,000  Japanese  troops  were  also  on  their  way 
to  Ping-'Yang  on  board  transports,  and  on  their  arrival  at  the  Korean 
coast  they  were  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tatong  river.  They  began 
their  march  towards  the  city,  when  they  were  surprised  by  a  party  of 
Chinese  cavalry,  reinforced  by  a  company  of  artillery.  The  Japanese 
loss  was  heavy,  and  they  were  compelled  to  retreat  to  the  transports, 
closely  followed  by  the  cavalrymen,  who  were  in  turn  compelled  to 
retreat  when  they  came  in  range  of  the  war  vessels'  guns. 

All  this  time  the  war  ships  of  Japan  were  patroling  the  China  sea, 
the  Gulf  of  Pechili,  and  the  Korean  bay,  looking  for  the  vessels  of  the 
enemy,  and  determined  to  prevent  the  tribute  of  rice  going  to  the  north. 
The  harbors  of  Japan  were  mined  to  prevent  an  attack;  a  war  loan  of 


294  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 


),000,000  was  quickly  raised;  and  nearly  100,000  men  were  sent  across 
the  straits  and  landed  in  Korea  during  August  and  September.  It  was 
impossible  for  China  to  equal  this  force  on  the  fighting  ground,  as  the 
land  march  was  too  great  a  distance,  and  the  Japanese  cruisers  were 
too  numerous  and  were  patroling  the  routes  too  carefully  to  make 
transportation  by  water  possible. 

It  was  evident  that  a  decisive  battle  was  close  at  hand,  and  to  further 
strengthen  the  Japanese  position,  a  treaty  of  alliance  was  signed  be- 
tween Japan  and  Korea  on  August  26,  at  Seoul,  the  body  of  which 
consisted  of  the  three  following  articles: 

"The  object  of  the  alliance  is  the  strengthening  and  perpetuation  of 
the  independence  of  Korea-  as  an  autonomous  state,  and  the  promotion 
of  the  mutual  interests  of  Korea  and  Japan,  by  compelling  the  Chinese 
forces  to  withdraw  from  Korea,  and  by  obliging  China  to  abandon  her 
claims  to  the  right  to  dominate  the  affairs  of  Korea. 

"Japan  is  to  carry  on  warlike  operations  against  China  both  offen- 
sive and  defensive;  and  the  Korean  government  is  bound  to  afford  every 
possible  facility  to  the  Japanese  forces  in  their  movements,  and  to  fur- 
nish supplies  of  provisions  to  them  at  a  fair  remuneration,  so  far  as 
such  supplies  may  be  needed. 

"The  treaty  shall  terminate  when  a  treaty  of  peace  is  concluded  by 
Japan  with  China." 

The  Chinese  were  now  strongly  fortified  at  Ping- Yang,  and  here  the 
Japanese  forces,  on  the  morning  of  September  13,  began  a  series  of 
attacks.  One  column  of  the  army  came  from  Gensan  by  way  of  the 
mountain  passes,  striking  the  enemy  on  the  left  flank;  a  center  column 
marched  to  the  north  from  Pongsan ;  and  a  third  column  took  a  position 
to  the  west  of  Ping- Yang  on  the  right  flank  of  the  Chinese  troops.  The 
Japanese  had  every  technical  advantage,  for  they  were  trained  in  the 
art  of  modern  warfare;  their  arms  were  of  the  latest  models;  and  their 
officers  were  men  who  had  given  years  to  the  study  of  their  profession. 

Thursday  and  Friday  were  spent  by  the  Japanese  in  preliminary 
skirmishes,  drawing  the  fire  from  the  Chinese  forts,  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  accurately  the  location  of  the  defences  and  the  disposition 
of  the  troops.  Saturday  morning  found  them  in  a  position  for  a  com- 
bined attack,  and  the  battle  opened  at  daybreak  with  a  direct  cannon- 
ade upon  the  Chinese  works.  This  was  kept  up  until  late  in  the 
afternoon;   the  guns  from  the  forts  sent  answering  volleys,  and  the 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  295 

Chinese  held  their  own.  During  the  night  the  two  flanking  columns 
drew  a  cordon  around  the  Chinese  forces,  and  early  Sunday  morning  a 
simultaneous  attack  was  made.  The  Hwang-ju  and  Gensan  columns 
came  up  from  the  rear,  and  the  entrenched  troops  suddenly  found  them- 
selves exposed  not  only  to  attacks  from  the  forces  they  had  fought  the 
day  before,  but  from  new  forces  of  unknown  numbers. 

The  Chinese  lines,  which  were  so  strong  in  front,  w^ere  found  com- 
paratively weak  in  the  rear.  The  unsuspicious  soldiers,  taken 
completely  by  surprise,  fell  into  panic  and  were  cut  down  by  hundreds. 
They  were  surrounded  and  at  every  point  where  they  sought  safety  in 
flight  they  met  the  foe.  It  was  of  course  a  disgrace  to  the  Chinese  lead- 
ers to  be  completely  outmanoeuvred  and  surprised,  but  it  was  no  dis- 
grace to  the  Chinese  soldiers  to  flee  with  but  slight  resistance  when  the 
surprise  had  been  accomplished  by  an  enemy  outnumbering  them  nearly 
three  to  one. 

The  Japanese  victory  was  brilliant  and  complete.  They  captured 
immense  quantities  of  stores,  provisions,  arms  and  ammunition  in  the 
camp,  besides  hundreds  of  battle  flags.  Out  of  a  total  of  about  20,000 
men,  the  Chinese  lost  2,700  killed,  and  more  than  14,000  wounded  and 
prisoners.  The  Japanese  had  60,000  men  in  the  engagement,  and  their 
loss  reached  only  thirty  killed,  and  269  wounded,  including  eleven 
officers. 

On  Friday,  September  14,  a  Chinese  fleet  of  six  transports  left  Tient- 
sin, bound  for  Wi-ju,  on  the  Yalu  river,  and  having  on  board  7,000 
troops,  guns  and  stores  for  the  continuance  of  the  campaign  in  Korea. 
These  transports  were  convoyed  by  Admiral  Tung,  commanding  the  fol- 
lowing ships-of-war:  Chen- Yuen  and  Ting- Yuen,  speed  fourteen  knots, 
tonnage  seven  thousand  four  hundred  and  thirty;  King- Yuen  and  Lai- 
Yuen,  sixteen  and  one-half  knots,  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
tons;  Ping  Yuen,  ten  and  one-half  knots,  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  tons;  Chih-Yuen  and  Ching-Yuen,  eighteen  knots,  two  thou- 
sand three  hundred  tons;  Tsi-Yuen,  fifteen  knots,  two  thousand  three 
hundred  and  fifty-five  tons;  Choa  Yung  and  Yang  Wei,  sixteen  and  one- 
half  knots,  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty  tons;  Kwang  Kai  and 
Kwang  Ting,  sixteen  and  one-half  knots,  one  thousand  and  thirty  tons. 
The  first  five  vessels  named  were  armored  battle  ships,  the  first  two  built 
in  1881-2,  the  third  and  fourth  in  1887,  and  the  fifth  in  1890.  The  seven 
following  were  cruisers  with  outside  armor,  all  of  them  built  since  1881 


296  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

and  some  as  late  as  1890.    There  were  also  in  the  fleet  six  torpedo  boats 
and  two  gun  boats. 

This  fleet  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yalu  river  on  Sunday,  and 
immediately  began  disembarking  the  troops  and  discharging  the  stores, 
the  war  vessels  remaining  about  ten  miles  off  shore  while  the  work 
progressed.  Monday  morning  a  cloud  of  smoke  was  seen  on  the  horizon 
which  indicated  the  approach  of  a  large  fleet,  and  by  noon  twelve  Japa- 
nese war  ships  could  be  distinguished.  Admiral  Ting  steamed  in  the 
direction  of  the  enemy  and  prepared  to  give  battle. 

The  Japanese  fleet  was  composed  as  follows:  The  Matsusima, 
Itsukusima  and  the  Hasidate,  each  of  four  thousand  two  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  tons  displacement  and  seventeen  and  one-half  knots;  The 
Takachiho  and  the  Naniwa,  each  of  three  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty 
tons,  and  eighteen  and  seven-tenths  knots;  the  Akitsushima,  of  three 
thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  and  Chiyoda,  of  two  thousand  four 
hundred  and  fifty  tons,  and  each  nineteen  knots;  the  Yoshino,  of  four 
thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons  and  twenty-three  knots;  the  Fuso, 
three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighteen  tons,  and  the  Hiyei,  two 
thousand  two  hundred  tons,  each  thirteen  knots;  the  Akagi,  six  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  tons,  and  twelve  knots;  beside  the  Saikio  Maru,  a  steam 
packet  fitted  as  a  cruiser  and  four  torpedo  boats.  It  will  be  seen  that 
in  numbers  the  fleets  were  about  equal.  But  in  tonnage  the  Chinese 
fleet  was  superior,  having  several  vessels  larger  than  any  of  the  Japa- 
nese, while  on  the  other  hand  the  speed  of  the  Japanese  vessels  averaged 
very  much  above  that  of  the  Chinese.  The  armament,  too,  of  the  Japa- 
nese fleet  was  superior  to  that  of  the  Chinese,  being  composed  more 
largely  of  quickfiring  guns.  In  type  the  vessels  of  the  opposing  squad- 
rons differed  considerably.  While  six  of  the  Chinese  ships  had  side 
armor,  only  one  Japanese  vessel  was  thus  protected;  and  while  ten 
Chinese  ships  had  protection  of  some  form,  only  eight  Japanese  carried 
any  armor. 

Admiral  Ting  signaled  his  ships  to  clear  for  action  and  then  brought 
them  into  a  V-shaped  formation,  with  the  flagship  at  the  apex  of  the 
triangle.  The  Japanese  had  at  first  approached  in  a  double  line,  but 
when  Admiral  Ito  saw  the  formation  adopted  by  his  opponent  he 
changed  his  fleet  into  a  single  line,  and  so  went  into  action. 

The  Ting- Yuen  opened  fire  a  little  after  noon  at  a  range  of  5,700 
yards.    The  concussion  of  the  first  discharge  threw  every  one  off  the 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  297 

bridge.  As  they  came  nearer,  the  Japanese  appeared  to  form  in  quarter 
lines,  to  which  the  Chinese  replied  by  turning  two  points  to  the  star- 
board, thus  keeping  their  bows  directed  towards  the  enemy.  The  Japa- 
nese manoeuvred  swiftly  throughout  the  battle,  and  the  Chinese  scarcely 
had  a  chance  for  effective  firing.  Very  few  of  the  Chinese  shots  reached 
their  mark,  while  the  Japanese  were  constantly  hitting  the  opposing 
vessels  most  effectively.  Admiral  Ting's  formation  was  soon  broken, 
and  advancing  two  or  three  of  his  ships  at  full  speed  the  fighting  became 
furious.  But  the  weight  of  metal  told,  and  one  of  the  ships,  the  Lai- 
Yuen,  was  crippled  in  this  venture.  Then  for  some  unknown  reason 
the  Japanese  ceased  firing  and  cleared  off,  while  the  Chinese  retired 
nearer  the  shore.  The  respite  was  a  brief  one,  for  the  Japanese  soon 
returned,  renewing  the  battle  with  great  vigor  and  upon  the  same 
effective  plan. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  Chinese  cruiser  Chih-Yuen  deliberately 
steamed  out  of  line  and,  though  signaled  to  return  to  the  place  assigned 
to  her,  went  full  speed  at  a  Japanese  cruiser.  The  latter  received  a 
slanting  blow  which  ripped  her  up  below  the  water  line  and  it  was 
believed  she  would  founder.  She  succeeded  in  pouring  several  broad- 
sides into  her  enemy  at  close  quarters,  and  the  Chih-Yuen  was  so  injured 
by  her  fire  and  by  the  effects  of  the  collision  that  she  herself  sank. 

When  the  Chinese  resumed  their  line  formation,  the  Japanese  guns 
were  directed  at  the  disabled  ships,  particularly  the  Lai- Yuen.  She  had 
been  riddled  by  shot  and  shell,  and  was  fast  sinking.  The  Chinese  gun- 
ners worked  to  the  last,  until  finally  she  went  down  slowly,  stern  first, 
her  bows  rising  from  the  water,  in  which  position  she  momentarily 
remained,  when  she  disappeared  in  one  last  plunge.  The  battle  then 
arranged  itself  into  two  great  groups,  the  four  Chinese  cruisers  becom- 
ing engaged  with  the  second  division,  while  the  ironclads  attacked  the 
first  division.  The  fighting  of  the  second  division  was  irregular  and 
diflflcult  to  follow,  and  ended  in  the  Japanese  disappearing  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  island  of  Hai-yung-tao. 

In  addition  to  the  sinking  of  the  Chih-Yuen,  the  Japanese  wrought 
great  havoc  on  the  King- Yuen,  which  was  badly  injured  by  fire;  the 
Chao  Yung,  which  foundered  in  shallow  water;  and  the  Yang  Wei, 
which  was  partially  burned,  and  afterwards  destroyed  by  a  torpedo. 

On  the  Japanese  side,  in  addition  to  the  vessel  which  was  rammed 
by  the  Chih-Yuen,  the  Yoshino  and  the  Matsusima  were  badly  damaged 


298  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

by  fire.  The  former  of  these  two,  after  receiving  a  series  of  volleys  from 
two  Chinese  vessels,  was  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  smoke  which  lay  heav- 
ily on  the  water  and  completely  covered  the  ship.  The  Chinese  vessels 
waited  for  the  cloud  to  clear  away  and  got  their  port  guns  ready,  but 
before  the  Yoshino  became  visible  their  fire  was  diverted  by  a  Japa- 
nese ship  of  the  Matsusima  type  which  came  on  the  port  quarter.  The 
guns  which  had  been  laid  for  the  Yoshino  were  fired  at  this  newcomer 
with  the  result  that  she  too  began  to  burn. 

It  is  evident  that  there  remained  room  for  each  side  to  claim  the 
victory  in  this  battle.  The  Chinese  succeeded  in  disembarking  the 
troops,  which  was  the  object  of  the  expedition.  They  fought  brilliantly, 
inflicting  considerable  damage  upon  their  enemy,  and  claim  that  the 
fight  was  terminated  against  their  will  by  the  withdrawal  of  Admiral 
Ito  and  his  fleet.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Japanese  destroyed  several 
of  the  best  ships  in  the  Chinese  navy,  and  inflicted  great  slaughter.  In 
all  probability  the  facts  are  that  each  fleet  was  so  badly  damaged  and 
the  men  on  both  sides  so  exhausted  that  neither  was  anxious  to  prolong 
the  battle.  However,  it  is  certain  that  the  Chinese  fleet  was  out  of 
fighting  condition  for  some  time  following  the  engagement,  and  this  fact 
had  much  to  do  with  the  handing  over  of  Korea  to  the  Japanese  army, 
and  gave  them  the  advantage  of  possession  in  the  invaded  country. 

When  the  Chinese  fled  from  Ping- Yang  towards  Wi-ju  they  left 
behind  them  nearly  a  million  dollars  in  treasure,  thirty-six  guns,  2,000 
tents,  1,300  horses,  and  a  large  quantity  of  provisions.  Panic  stricken 
by  the  determined  pursuit  of  the  Japanese,  they  abandoned  their  re- 
maining four  guns  at  An-ju,  and  continued  their  flight  until  they 
reached  Kaichan.  By  the  middle  of  October  the  two  armies  were  facing 
each  other  on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  Yalu.  The  Chinese  were  work- 
ing night  and  day  improving  their  position,  and  had  a  force  of  nearly 
30,000  men  massed  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Yalu. 

On  October  24  Count  Yamagata,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Japanese 
forces  in  Korea,  threw  a  small  force  across  the  river,  thus  invading 
Chinese  territory.  The  passage  was  made  by  wading  and  was  unop- 
posed. The  detachment  was  composed  entirely  of  riflemen,  no  cavalry 
or  artillery  accompanying  them.  An  attack  was  immediately  made  on 
the  Chinese  position,  and  the  works  .were  carried  with  a  rush.  The 
Chinese  made  for  the  batteries  lower  down  the  river,  followed  by  the 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  299 

Japanese,  who  easily  took  the  fortifications  at  the  Suckochi  ferry,  where 
they  passed  the  night. 

A  pontoon  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  river  at  this  point  during 
the  night  of  the  24th,  and  the  main  body  of  the  Japanese  army  passed 
over,  and  at  once  commenced  an  attack  against  Hu-shan,  Colonel  Sato's 
brigade  coming  into  action  simultaneously  from  the  other  side.  At  first 
the  Chinese  held  their  ground,  but  presently,  finding  their  position 
swept  by  rifle  and  artillery  fire  from  a  hill  on  their  right  flank,  on  which 
possession  had  been  taken  by  a  brigade  under  Major-General  Osako, 
they  broke  and  fled  across  the  Ai  to  Chiu-lien,  The  reserves,  however, 
did  not  join  the  rout.  Posted  advantageously,  they  preserved  their 
formation  and  maintained  a  resolute  fire,  until  thrown  into  confusion 
by  a  flanking  movement,  which  placed  a  large  force  under  Major-Gen- 
eral  Tachimi  to  the  rear  of  their  left.  Then  they  too  gave  way,  and 
retreated  in  confusion  across  the  Ai,  so  hotly  pursued  that  they  were 
forced  to  abandon  ten  pieces  of  artillery.  The  Japanese  had  lost  twenty 
killed  and  eighty -three  wounded;  the  Chinese  250  killed  and  a  much 
larger  number  wounded.  Two  divisions  of  the  army  then  crossed  the 
Ai  and  encamped  on  the  east  of  Chiu-lien,  the  brigades  of  Major- 
General  Tachimi  and  Colonel  Sato  posting  themselves  on  the  same  side 
of  the  Ai,  but  further  north,  so  as  to  menace  the  road  from  Chiu-lien 
northward  to  Fend-hwang.  Thus  with  all  the  advantages  of  elevated 
ground,  a  strongly  fortified  position,  and  a  force  which  was  ample  for 
defensive  purposes,  the  Chinese  converted  into  a  mere  skirmish  what 
should  have  been  a  sanguinary  battle,  with  every  chance  of  success  for 
their  arms. 

A  series  of  defeats  followed,  which  seemed  to  complete  the  demoral- 
ization of  the  Chinese  forces.  With  every  advantage  in  numbers,  with 
well  built  batteries  and  strong  positions,  they  Avere  unable  to  halt  the 
determined  advance  of  the  victorious  Japanese,  and  the  continued  loss 
of  arms  and  ammunition,  which  they  scattered  right  and  left  in  every 
retreat,  soon  depleted  their  stores,  and  left  them  unable  to  fight,  even 
had  they  so  desired. 

The  second  invasion  of  Chinese  territory  was  made  by  the  second 
Japanese  army  corps,  22,000  strong,  under  the  command  of  General 
Count  Oyama,  which  sailed  in  transports  from  Hiroshima,  and  on  Octo- 
ber 24  commenced  landing  in  a  little  cove  northeast  of  Talien-wan  bay. 
The  objective  point  was  Port  Arthur,  China's  proudest  naval  station. 


300  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

the  fall  of  which  must  mean  the  practical  destruction  of  all  Chinese 
hopes  of  ultimate  success.  From  the  landing  point  to  Kinchow,  the 
principal  town  in  the  peninsula,  the  distance  is  fifty-four  miles,  and 
after  a  hurried  march,  this  point  was  captured  without  opposition. 
November  6  the  Japanese  fleet  took  a  station  off  the  Talien-wan  bay, 
and  opened  a  tremendous  bombardment  of  the  forts.  On  the  7th,  cov- 
ered by  the  bombardment,  the  land  force  attacked  Talien-wan  by  a 
general  assault,  and  the  success  was  complete.  The  Chinese,  taken  by 
surprise,  fled  panic-stricken  towards  Port  Arthur.  As  in  previous  re- 
treats, the  Chinese  threw  away  their  arms  in  their  flight,  and  reached 
Port  Arthur  with  nothing  but  the  clothes  they  wore. 

During  these  days  of  action  by  the  force  under  Oyama,  General 
Nodzu's  troops  had  not  been  idle.  Immediately  after  the  capture  of 
ChJu-lien,  the  Japanese  headquarters'  staff  moved  there  from  Wi-ju, 
and  two  columns  were  sent  after  the  flying  Chinese.  Colonel  Sato 
moved  upon  An-tung,  which  was  taken  without  a  struggle.  General 
Tachimi,  with  the  first  division,  captured  Feng-hwang  on  October  31. 
The  enemy  divided  in  flight  from  this  point,  some  going  to  Mukden, 
others  to  Hai-tcheng,  and  others  to  Taku-shan.  As  the  last  fugitives 
left  the  place  it  was  set  on  fire,  and  the  flames  wrecked  the  village  before 
the  Japanese  could  extinguish  them. 

Consternation  was  caused  in  Peking  by  the  discovery  that  the  Pei- 
yang  squadron  was  caught  in  a  trap  at  Port  Arthur.  Li  Hung  Chang 
had  made  efforts  to  bring  all  the  damaged  war  ships  out  of  the  harbor, 
ordering  the  fleet  to  keep  within  range  of  the  guns  of  Wei-hai-wei;  but 
on  account  of  somebody's  violation  of  orders  a  dozen  Chinese  ships  of 
war  were  now  within  the  Port  Arthur  harbor,  hemmed  in  by  the  Japa- 
nese squadron. 

The  force  under  Yamagata  moved  forward  in  two  divisions,  one 
towards  Port  Arthur  and  one  on  the  road  to  Mukden.  The  right  division 
entered  the  Manchoorian  highlands  by  the  Mo-thien-ling  pass,  and  the 
left  division  marched  towards  Siu-Yen,  at  both  of  which  points  a  Chi- 
nese force  was  gathered.  On  November  9  the  Japanese  attacked 
Namquan  pass,  a  strongly  fortified  point  between  Society  bay  and 
Talien-wan,  where  the  Chinese  met  with  another  defeat.  Some  thousands 
of  refugees  from  Kinchow,  who  were  flying  towards  villages  in  the  vicin- 
ity, were  mistaken  for  the  enemy  and  were  fired  upon  from  the  rear  of 
the  defenses,  many  being  killed. 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  301 

The  advance  was  necessarily  slow,  and  it  was  on  the  20th  of  Novem- 
ber that  the  Japanese  forces  arrived  at  Dojoshu,  a  village  at  the  foot  of 
the  hills  near  Port  Arthur,  and  here  a  halt  was  made.  Suddenly  the 
boom  of  heavy  guns  was  heard,  and  the  Chinese  were  seen  advancing  in 
two  columns,  the  right  one  by  Suishiyeh,  under  the  eyes  of  the  troops 
who  held  the  hill  where  the  enemy  had  halted,  and  the  left  by  way  of 
the  west  side  of  the  valley,  out  of  sight  behind  the  foothills.  The  Japa- 
nese opened  the  engagement  with  a  fire  of  shrapnel,  and  the  forts  replied 
as  soon  as  the  positions  were  revealed.  The  Chinese  got  their  fiejd  guns 
into  position,  but  could  do  no  damage,  for  practically  none  of  the  Japa- 
nese was  exposed  to  them  or  to  the  forts.  The  Chinese  army  finally 
marched  back  to  their  camp,  and  when  the  last  streak  of  daylight  had 
disappeared  all  was  again  quiet. 

Early  the  following  morning,  the  Japanese  army  broke  camp,  and 
marched  over  the  outlying  hills,  and  before  the  break  of  day  they  were 
in  battle  array.  The  first  shot  was  fired  at  about  7:00  o'clock  and  for 
an  hour  the  Japanese  guns  blazed  into  the  Table-Top  forts.  The  answer- 
ing shells  came  close  to  their  ears  in  hundreds,  striking  hills  and 
boulders,  but,  strange  to  relate,  not  a  man  was  killed.  One  by  offie  the 
Chinese  guns  ceased  firing,  and  suddenly  the  Japanese  charged  the 
forts,  singing  as  they  went,  and  cheering  with  great  cries  of  "Kot-ta — 
Victory!"  The  Chinese  emptied  their  guns  and  small  arms  as  the  eneimy 
swarmed  up  on  three  sides,  firing  every  few  yards  and  then  rushing  for- 
ward. The  Chinese,  not  numerous  enough  for  hand-to-hand  combat, 
waited  no  longer,  but  fled  over  the  edge  of  the  hill,  down  to  the  fortified 
camps  before  the  town,  and  on  the  forts  of  Table-Top  soon  floated  tiie 
flag  of  Japan. 

A  large  force  of  Chinese  infantry  marched  around  the  hills  west- 
ward, north  of  the  Port  Arthur  lagoon,  to  turn  the  Japfinese  right  flank, 
but  General  Yamaji  detected  the  attempt,  and  despatched  Brigadier- 
General  Nishi  with  the  third  regiment  and  the  mountain  battery  to  meet 
it.  The  rough  and  broken  country  rendered  the  movement  slow,  and 
this  part  of  the  battle  dragged  on  until  the  afternoon. 

While  Yamaji  was  attacking  the  northwest  forts,  Brigadier-General 
Hasegawa  engaged  the  attention  of  the  northeast  forts,  in  order  to 
prevent  them  from  concentrating  fire  on  the  Japanese  right.  A  furious 
fusillade  was  maintained  on  both  sides  for  nearly  two  hours;  but  the 
Chinese  shots  got  wilder  and  wilder  as  the  Japanese  improved,  until 


802  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

finally  a  magazine  blew  up  and  set  fire  to  the  sheds  inside  the  forts. 
Then  Hasegawa  charged  all  along  the  line,  and  took  the  forts  one  by 
one.  Not  a  Chinaman  remained  at  the  ramparts.  They  fled  from  fort 
to  fort  along  the  high  wall,  firing  as  they  went,  and  making  a  stand  at 
every  point  till  too  close  for  rifies.  They  were  chased  over  the  hills, 
and  for  many  miles  the  ground  was  strewn  with  the  dead  and  dying. 
Those  who  escaped  got  into  the  town  and  joined  the  main  body  of  the 
Chinese  army. 

The  Japanese  crept  steadily  forward,  until  nothing  remained  but  the 
trenches  of  Boulder  hill,  the  town  itself,  and  the  shore  forts.  Along 
the  south  of  the  parade  ground  runs  a  broad,  shallow  stream  that  comes 
down  the  Suishiyeli  valley,  and  flows  into  a  creek  west  of  Hakugoku. 
Three  times  the  Japanese  attempted  to  cross  the  bridge  over  this  stream, 
and  were  driven  back,  but  at  last  they  forced  it,  and  spread  out  over  the 
face  of  the  hill  pursuing  the  Chinese  up  to  the  town  itself,  firing  volleys 
as  they  went.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  in  reply.  As  far  as  Port  Arthur  was 
concerned,  the  war  was  over. 

As  the  Japanese  troops  reached  the  edge  of  the  town,  driving  the 
Chinese  before  them,  a  halt  was*  called  before  the  army  marched  in,  as 
the  force  was  not  yet  assembled  in  strength.  When  the  first  division 
was  in  position,  with  the  left  wing  to  the  northeast  in  case  the  enemy 
should  rally  and  try  to  dash  out,  the  order  was  given  to  enter  the  town 
and  storm  the  inner  fort.  The  second  regiment  led,  firing  volleys  file  by 
file  through  the  streets,  past  the  docks,  and  the  burning  army  stores, 
up  the  hill,  and  into  Ogunsan,  which  was  practically  abandoned  without 
an  effort  at  defense.  During  the  evening  Hasegawa's  brigade  went  over 
the  hills  and  occupied  the  two  eastern  forts  called  the  "Mule's  Jaws." 
The  following  morning  Yamaji's  first  regiment  marched  around  the 
lagoon  and  occupied  the  peninsula  forts,  which  had  been  deserted  dur- 
ing the  night.  Port  Arthur  was  in  full  possession  of  Marshall  Oyama, 
with  the  fleet  under  Admiral  Ito  safe  in  the  harbor. 

And  now  comes  the  story  of  the  most  revolting  and  horrible  incident 
of  the  entire  war.  It  seems  almost  incredible  that  a  people  claiming 
any  of  the  attributes  of  civilization,  whose  actions  up  this  time  in  regard 
to  the  treatment  of  their  defeated  enemies  had  been  along  the  lines  of 
humanity,  could  be  guilty  of  such  atrocities  as  disgraced  the  Japanese 
after  the  taking  of  Port  Arthur.  Yet  we  have  positive  proof  that  women 
and  children  were  ruthlessly  slaughtered  by  the  victorious  army,  and 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  305 

that  deeds  were  committed  with  the  sanction  of  the  commanders  which 
would  only  be  expected  from  the  lowest  and  most  ignorant  savages. 
Mr.  Cowan  of  the  London  Times  was  an  eye-witness  to  the  capture  of 
the  city,  and  wrote  to  his  paper  this  account  of  the  scenes  that  fol- 
lowed: 

"What  happened  after  Port  Arthur  fell  into  Japanese  hands,  it 
would  have  been  impossible  and  even  dangerous  to  report  while  on  the 
spot.  At  the  earliest  possible  moment,  every  foreign  correspondent 
escaped  from  the  horrifying  scene  to  a  place  where  freedom  of  speech 
would  be  safe;  and  as  we  sailed  away  from  Port  Arthur  on  the  Nagoto 
Maru  eight  days  ago,  almost  astonished  to  find  ourselves  escaping  alive 
from  the  awful  epidemic  of  incredible  brutality,  the  last  sounds  we 
heard  were  those  of  shooting,  of  wanton  murder,  continued  the  fifth  day 
after  the  great  battle.  When  the  Japanese  army  entered  Port  Arthur 
on  the  21st,  beginning  a  little  after  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the 
Chinese  had  resisted  desperately  till  the  last,  retreating  slowly  from 
cover  to  cover,  until  they  got  back  among  the  buildings  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  town.  Then  at  last  all  resistance  ceased;  they  were  thoroughly 
defeated,  and  made  a  stampede  through  the  streets  trying  to  hide  or  to 
escape,  east  or  west  as  best  they  might.  I  was  on  the  brow  of  a  steep 
hill  called  'White  Boulders,'  in  Japanese  Hakugoku,  commanding  a 
close  view  of  the  whole  town  at  my  feet.  When  I  saw  the  Japanese 
march  in,  firing  up  the  streets  and  into  the  houses,  chasing  and  killing 
every  live  thing  that  crossed  their  path,  I  looked  hard  for  the  cause.  I 
saw  practically  every  shot  fired,  and  I  swear  positively  that  not  one 
came  from  any  but  Japanese.  I  saw  scores  of  Chinese  hunted  out  of 
cover,  shot  down,  and  hacked  to  pieces,  and  never  a  man  made  any 
attempt  to  fight.  All  were  in  plain  clothes,  but  that  meant  nothing  for 
the  soldiers  flying  from  death  got  rid  of  their  uniforms  how  they  might. 
Many  went  down  on  their  knees,  supplicating  with  heads  bent  to  the 
ground  in  kowtow,  and  in  that  attitude  were  butchered  mercilessly  by 
the  conquering  army.  Those  who  fled  were  pursued  and  sooner  or  later 
were  done  to  death.  Never  a  shot  came  from  a  house  as  far  as  I  could 
see,  and  I  could  hardly  believe  my  eyes,  for,  as  my  letters  have  shown, 
the  indisputable  evidence  of  previous  proceedings  had  filled  me  with 
admiration  of  the  gentle  Japanese.  So  I  watched  intensely  for  the 
slightest  sign  of  cause,  confident  that  there  must  be  some,  but  I  saw 
none  whatever.    If  my  eyes  deceived  me,  others  were  in  the  same  plight; 


306  WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA, 

the  military  attaches  of  England  and  America  were  also  on  Boulder 
Hill  and  were  equally  amazed  and  horrified.  It  was  a  gratuitous  ebulli- 
tion of  barbarism  they  declared,  a  revolting  repudiation  of  pretended 
humanity. 

"Gun  shots  behind  us  turned  our  attention  to  the  north  creek  leading 
into  the  broad  lagoon.  Here  swarms  of  boats  were  moving  away  to  the 
west,  loaded  to  twice  their  normal  limit  with  panic-stricken  fugitives, 
men,  women  and  children,  who  had  stayed  too  late  in  the  beleaguered 
town.  A  troop  of  Japanese  cavalry  with  an  officer  was  at  the  head  of 
the  creek,  firing  seaward,  slaughtering  all  within  range.  An  old  man 
and  two  children  of  ten  and  twelve  years  had  started  to  wade  across 
the  creek;  a  horseman  rode  into  the  water  and  slashed  them  a  dozen 
times  with  his  sword.  The  sight  was  more  than  mortal  man  could 
stand.  Another  poor  wretch  rushed  out  at  the  back  of  a  house  as  the 
invaders  entered  the  front  door,  firing  promiscuously.  He  got  into  a 
ba-ck  lane,  and  a  moment  later  found  himself  cornered  between  two 
fires.  We  could  hear  his  cry  for  quarter  as  he  bowed  his  head  in  the 
dust  three  times;  the  third  time  he  rose  no  more,  but  fell  on  his  side, 
bent  double  in  the  posture  of  petition  for  the  greatly  vaunted  mercy  of 
the  Japanese,  who  stood  ten  paces  off  and  exultantly  emptied  their  guns 
into  him.  More  of  these  piteous  deaths  we  saw,  unable  to  stay  the 
hands  of  the  murderers;  more  and  more,  far  more  than  we  can  relate, 
until  sick  and  saddened  beyond  the  power  of  words  to  tell,  we  slowly 
made  our  way  in  the  gathering  gloom  d'own  the  hill,  picking  a  path 
through  the  rifle-pits  thick  with  Chinese  cartridge  cases,  and  back  to 
headquarters. 

"Robbed  of  our  sleep  on  the  eve  of  battle,  and  utterly  exhausted,  we 
lay  long  next  morning  until  the  sound  of  shooting  roused  us.  To  our 
surprise  and  dismay  we  found  that  the  massacre  of  Wednesday,  which 
might  have  been  explained  though  certainly  not  excused  on  the  ground 
of  excitement  in  the  heat  of  battle,  the  flush  of  victory,  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  dead  comrades  mutilated,  was  being  continued  in  cold  blood 
now.  Thursday,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday  were  spent  by  the 
soldiery  in  murder  and  pillage  from  dawn  to  dark,  in  mutilation,  in 
every  conceivable  kind  of  nameless  atrocity,  until  the  town  became  a 
ghastly  Inferno  to  be  remembered  with  a  fearsome  shudder  until  one's 
dying  day.  I  saw  corpses  of  women  and  children,  three  or  four  in  the 
streets,  more  in  the  water;  I  stooped  to  pick  some  of  them  out  to  make 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  307 

sure  that  there  could  be  no  possibility  of  mistake.  Bodies  of  men 
strewed  the  streets  in  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  for  we  could  not 
count — some  with  not  a  limb  unsevered,  some  with  heads  hacked,  cross- 
cut, and  split  lengthwise,  some  ripped  open,  not  by  chance  but  with 
careful  precision,  down  and  across,  disemboweled  and  dismembered, 
with  occasionally  a  dagger  or  bayonet  thrust  in  private  parts.  I  saw 
groups  of  prisoners  tied  together  in  a  bunch  with  their  hands  behind 
their  backs,  riddled  with  bullets  for  five  minutes,  and  then  hewn  in 
pieces.  I  saw  a  junk  stranded  on  the  beach,  filled  with  fugitives  of 
either  sex  and  of  all  ages,  struck  down  by  volley  after  volley  until — I 
can  say  no  more." 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Japanese  soldiers  had  terrible  provoca- 
tion for  these  acts  of  barbarity,  for  the  Chinese  are  and  always  have  been 
infamous  for  savage  massacres  and  indescribable  tortures.  A  corre- 
spondent in  Shanghai,  in  writing  on  this  subject,  said: 

"The  reported  inhuman  atrocities  of  the  Chinese  are  fully  confirmed. 
They  were  guilty  of  barbarities  too  revolting  to  mention.  A  scouting 
party  of  Japanese,  including  an  interpreter,  were  captured  by  the  Chi- 
nese near  Port  Arthur  just  before  the  attack  on  the  fortress.  They  were 
fastened  to  stakes  by  nails  through  their  shoulders,  burned  alive,  and 
then  quartered  and  their  ghastly  remains  stuck  up  on  poles  by  the  road- 
side. Some  Japanese  members  of  the  Red  Cross  society  were  captured 
by  the  Chinese  soldiers  and  flayed  alive.  During  the  attack  on  Port 
Arthur  the  defenders  used  explosive  bullets.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the 
Japanese  generals  issued  the  order  that  no  quarter  should  be  shown? 
The  track  of  the  retreating  army  has  been  marked  by  pillage,  rapine, 
wanton  destruction  and  outrage,  so  that  the  people  welcomed  the  Japa- 
nese." 

The  Japanese  followed  up  the  capture  of  Port  Arthur  by  a  succes- 
sion of  advances  where»ver  detachments  of  the  Chinese  army  were  to  be 
found,  and  met  with  continual  success  in  their  attacks  on  the  enemy. 
The  authorities  in  Peking  were  panic-stricken,  and  attempted  to  stay 
the  Japanese  victories  by  constantly  changing  the  officials  who  were 
appointed  to  carry  on  the  war.  At  last,  evidently  despairing  of  success, 
it  was  announced  that  the  imperial  government  had  decided  to  com- 
mence negotiations  for  peace,  and  on  December  21  Chang  yin-hou-an, 
vice-president  of  the  Tsung-li  Yamen,  was  ordered  to  Japan,  with  the 
understanding  that  he  had  authority  to  arrange  for  the  termination  of 


308  WAB  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

hostilities.  The  Chinese  government  requested  President  Cleveland  to 
send  a  representative  to  Tokio  to  act  as  an  adviser  to  the  Chinese  envoy, 
and  the  Hon.  John  W.  Foster,  former  United  States  Secretary  of  State, 
was  appointed  for  the  mission. 

In  the  meantime  Japan  continued  her  aggressive  campaign,  and 
mobilized  a  third  army  of  35,000  men  at  Hiroshima.  This  force  was 
transported  early  in  January  to  Wei-hai-wei,  and  made  the  journey  with- 
out opposition.  On  their  arrival  they  found  the  Chinese  fleet  under 
Admiral  Ting  prepared  for  a  desperate  resistance.  After  a  struggle  on 
sea  and  land  which  lasted  for  almost  a  month,  and  was  really  the  only 
determined  fight  the  Chinese  made  during  the  whole  course  of  the  war, 
the  Japanese  captured  or  destroyed  the  ships,  arms  and  ammunition 
of  their  foe,  and  gained  jJossession  of  the  few  remaining  forts  that  had 
so  long  withstood  the  attack.  Admiral  Ting,  the  general  in  command 
of  the  forts,  and  Captains  Ling  and  Chang,  all  committed  suicide 
through  grief  and  shame  at  having  to  surrender.  This  left  Admiral 
McClure,  a  Scotchman  who  had  been  serving  under  Admiral  Ting,  first 
in  command,  and  from  him  Admiral  Ito  received  the  surrender  of  the 
Chinese  warships  and  forts. 

When  Chang  yin-hou-an  arrived  at  Kobe  he  was  received  by  Count 
Ito  and  Viscount  Mutsu,  who  hajd  been  delegated  by  the  mikado  to  ex- 
amine his  credentials  and  state  the  demands  of  the  Japanese  govern- 
ment. Upon  an  examination  of  the  credentials  from  the  Chines© 
emperor  it  was  found-  that  they  ga;ve  his  envoy  no  power  to  negotiate, 
but  commanded  him  to  telegraph  to  Peking  for  instructions  on  all  mat- 
ters of  the  slightest  importance.  The  Japanese  refused  negotiations  on 
these  tetms,  and  the  Chinese  envoy  was  requested  to  leave  Japan  imme- 
diately. 

But  at  last  China  was  beginning  to  realize  the  absolute  necessity  of 
concluding  peace  with  Japan.  The  nation  had  lost  so  much  in  the  war 
that  it  could  not  hope  to  long  cjontinue  the  unequal  struggle,  and  the 
sooner  defeat  was  acknowledged  the  better  terms  Japan  might  be  in- 
duced to  grant.  The  emperor  appointed  Li  Hung  Chang,  "the  grand  old 
man  of  China,"  as  imperial  commissioner,  with  complete  authority  to 
negotiate  for  peace,  and  on  the  morning  of  March  19  he  and  his  suite 
touched  the  shore  of  Japan. 

This  time  the  envoy's  credentials  were  found  to  be  satisfactory  to 
the  Japanese  authorities,  and  the  next  few  days  were  occupied  with 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOBBA.  S09 

official  deliberations,  in  which  Li  Hung  Chang  proved  himself  to  be  a 
past  master  in  the  art  of  diplomacy.  But  he  was  not  successful  in 
lessening  the  demands  of  the  victors.  A  sensational  occurrence  marked 
the  progi'ess  of  the  negotiations.  On  March  24,  as  the  Chinese  envoy- 
was  returning  to  his  hotel,  he  was  the  victim  of  an  attempted  assassi- 
nation. A  young  Japanese,  named  Kayama  Rokunosuki,  shot  him  in 
the  cheek,  inflicting  a  painful  though  not  a  dangerous  wound.  Every- 
thing possible  was  done  by  the  Japanese  authorities  to  show  tiieir  sym- 
pathy for  the  distinguished  sufferer.  The  Mikado  sent  his  chief 
physicians,  and  from  every  quarter  came  expressions  of  grief.  The 
following  official  proclamation  was  issued: 

"A  state  of  war  exists  between  our  country  and  China,  but  she  with 
due  regard  of  international  forms  and  usages  sent  an  ambassador  to 
sue  for  peace.  We  therefore-  appointed  plenipotentiaries,  instrfucting 
them  to  meet  and  negotiate  at  Shimonoseki.  It  was  consequently  in- 
cumbent upon  us,  in  pursuance  of  international  etiquette,  to  extend  to 
the  Chines^  ambassador  treatment  consistent  with  the  national  honor, 
providing  him  ample  escort  and  protection.  Hence  we  issued  special 
commands  to  our  officials  to  exercise  the  utmost  vigilance  in  all  re- 
spects. It  is  therefore  a  source  of  profound  grief  and  regret  to  us,  that 
a  ruffian  should  have  been  found  base  enough  to  inflict  personal  injury 
on  the  Chinese  ambassador.  Our  officials  will  sentence  the  culprit  to 
the  utmost  punishment  provided  by  the  law.  We  hereby  command  our 
officials  and  subjects  to  respect  our  wish,  and  to  preserve* our  country's 
fair  name  from  impairment  by  strictly  guarding  against  a  recurrence 
of  such  deeds  of  violence  and  lawlessness." 

While  Li  Hung  Chang"  was  in  the  hands  o-f  the  physicians  he  was 
represented  by  his  son,  Li  Ching  Fung,  who  carried  o-n  the  negotiations 
for  peace.  By  April  7  th^  wound  had  healed,  ami.  the  plenipotentiary 
was  again  able  to  resume  his.  work.  April  15  a  treaty  was  signed,  by 
the  terms  of  which  the  independence  of  Korea  was-  recognizee.  Japan 
was  to  retain  temporarily  the  important  places  she  had  captured,  in- 
cluding' Port  Arthur  and  Wei-hai-wei.  The  island  of  Formosa  was 
ceded  pe>rmanently  to.  Japan.  An  indemnity  was  provided  for  to  be  paid 
by  China  to  Japan  of  200,000,000  taels  in  silver,  which  is  equivalent  to 
about  $150,000,000  in  American  gold.  China  agreed  to  no  longer  impose 
upon  foreigners  the  odious  tax  known  as  Likin,  levied  upon  all  goods 
and  sales,  and  a  uniform  standard  tael  was  required  to  be  adopted  by 


310-  WAB  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA. 

China  for  her  currency.  All  foreigners  were  to  be  permitted  to  intro- 
duce into  China  factories  and  machinery,  and  to  lease  warehouses  in 
the  interior.  The  important  commercial  concessions  given  to  Japan 
were  thus  extended  to  all  other  treaty  nations.  The  occupation  of  Port 
Arthur  and  Wei-hai-wei  and  of  the  conquered  Manchoorian  territory 
were  to  be  temporary,  lasting  only  long  enough  to  guarantee  the  pay- 
ment of  the  war  indemnity  by  China.  The  terms  of  this  payment  pro- 
vided that  it  should  be  made  in  silver  in  six  annual  installments.  Japan 
retained  extra-territorial  jurisdiction  in  China,  that  is  the  right  to  try 
her  own  subjects  arrested  in  China  on  charges  of  crime,  and  on  the  other 
hand  China  gave  up  the  right  to  extra-territoriality  in  Japan. 

The  following  proclamation  was  issued  by  the  Japanese  government 
shortly  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty : 

"Through  peace,  national  prosperity  is  best  promoted.  Unfortunately, 
the  rupture  of  relations  with  China  forced  upon  us  a  war  which,  after 
a  lapse  of  ten  months,  is  not  yet  ended.  During  this  period  our  minis- 
ters, in  concert  with  the  army,  navy  and  diet,  have  done  all  in  their 
power  to  further  our  aims  in  obedience  to  our  instructions.  Our  ardent 
desire,  with  the  assistance  of  our  subjects,  in  loyalty  and  sincerity,  is 
to  restore  peace  and  thereby  attain  our  object — the  promotion  of  na- 
tional prosperity.  Now  that  peace  is  negotiated  and  armistice  pro- 
claimed, a  permanent  cessation  of  hostilities  is  near  at  hand.  The  terms 
of  peace  fixed  by  our  minister  of  state  give  us  complete  satisfaction. 
The  peace  and  glory  thus  secured  renders  the  present  a  fitting  time  to 
enlighten  you  as  to  the  course  of  our  future  policy. 

"We  are  rejoiced  at  the  recent  victories  which  have  enhanced  the 
glory  of  our  empire.  At  the  same  time  we  are  aware  that  the  end  of  the 
road  which  must  be  traversed  by  the  empire  in  the  march  of  civilization 
is  still  far  distant  and  remains  yet  to  be  attained.  We  therefore  hope, 
in  common  with  our  loyal  subjects,  that  we  shall  always  guard  against 
self-contentedness,  but  in  a  spirit  of  modesty  and  humility  strive  to 
perfect  our  military  defense  without  falling  into  extremes.  In  short,  it 
is  our  wish  that  the  government  and  the  people  alike  shall  work  to  a 
common  end  and  that  our  subjects  of  all  classes  strive  each  in  his  sphere 
for  the  purpose  of  laying  the  foundation  of  permanent  prosperity. 

"It  is  hereby  definitely  made  known  that  no  countenance  will  be 
given  by  us  to  such  as,  through  conceit  at  the  recent  victories,  may  offer 
insult  to  another  state  or  injure  our  relations  with  friendly  powers^ 


WAR  WITH  JAPAN  IN  KOREA.  311 

especially  as  regards  China.  After  the  exchange  of  the  ratifications  of 
the  treaty  of  peace,  friendship  should  be  restored  and  endeavors  made 
to  increase  more  than  ever  before  the  relations  of  good  neighborhood. 
It  is  our  pleasure  that  our  subjects  pay  due  respect  to  these  expressed 
wishes." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
FOREIGN  RELATIONS  SINCE  THE  CHINA-JAPANESE  WAR. 

The  Western  World  Looking  for  the  Partition  of  Cliina— Encroaclinients  on  Cliinese  Terri- 
tory—Russian, Englisli,  German  and  Freneli  Aggressions — Tlie  Siberian  Railway- 
Preparations  of  Russia  and  Great  Britain  at  Port  Arthur  and  Wei-hai-wei— Foreigners 
in  China— Treaty  Ports  and  their  Population. 

EVER  since  the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  peace  that  marked 
the  end  of  the  China-Japanese  war  the  irresistible  progress 
of  events  has  pointed  to  a  cataclysm  in  China.  As  never 
before,  the  Chinese  have  seen  the  integrity  of  their  Empire 
threatened  by  the  incursions  of  those  whom  they  considered  the  Euro- 
pean "barbarians."  The  nations  of  Europe  were  hastening  to  take  naval 
stations  on  their  coasts.  From  these  stations  radiated  the  spheres  of 
influence  into  which  the  commercial  pioneers  of  the  various  nations 
pushed  their  undertakings,  demanding  concessions,  franchises  and 
privileges  here  and  there,  indifferent  to  the  desires  of  the  people.  The 
Chinese  saw  treaties  between  the  nations  of  Europe  which  actually 
portioned  out  China  into  these  spheres  of  influence,  bargaining  as  if 
no  authority  existed  except  that  of  the  people  who  wanted  to  sell  goods 
to  the  Mongolian.  They  saw  the  United  States  negotiating,  not  with 
China,  but  with  these  Europeans,  for  "the  open  door"  to  assure  them 
equal  privileges  of  trade  in  the  Orient. 

Hardly  second  to  these  territorial  encroachments  and  affronts  were 
those  of  literature.  Books  and  articles  on  "The  Breakup  of  China," 
"China  in  Decay"  and  "China  in  Transformation"  began  to  multiply  in 
Europe  and  America.  Educated  Chinese  read  them  and  saw  that  the 
world  was  watching  to  see  their  country  fall  apart,  hoping  to  be  "in  at 
the  death"  in  order  to  get  some  of  the  riches  that  might  be  in  reach. 
This  did  not  serve  to  mollify  their  irritation. 

It  was  the  Germans  who  made  the  first  move  toward  the  actual 
impairment  of  Chinese  territory  on  the  mainland  of  Asia  after  Japan's 
annexation  of  Port  Arthur  had  been  blocked  by  Russia.  Two  German 
missionaries  were  murdered  by  Chinese  in  a  village  of  Shantung  prov- 
ince.   It  is  said  that  they  were  indeed  missionaries  who  had  been  them- 

312 


CHINA-JAPANESE   WAB.  813 

selves  expelled  from  Germany  at  the  command  of  the  Emperor.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  a  heavy  indemnity  had  to  be  paid  by  China  for  the  crime  of  the 
villagers.  The  bay  and  port  of  Kiao-chau  were  seized  by  Germany  and 
became  German  territory  by  the  terms  of  settlement. 

When  after  the  war  Russia  induced  a  united  protest  of  the  European 
powers  which  made  it  impossible  for  Japan  to  take  Port  Arthur  as  one 
of  the  fruits  of  her  victories,  leaving  the  Japanese  to  see  the  same  prize 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Russians  themselves  a  few  months  later,  an 
anger  was  implanted  in  Japan  against  Russia  which  ever  since  has 
threatened  war  between  these  powers.  The  Russo-Japanese  relations 
may  be  expected  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  influences  to  be  reck- 
oned with  in  settling  the  difficulties  now  under  way. 

Even  the  powers  most  suspicious  of  Russia  and  most  convinced  that 
some  recompense  was  to  be  paid  for  Russian  intercession  at  this  time  of 
China's  distress  never  guessed  what  would  happen.  Russia  interfered 
to  forbid  Japan's  taking  of  Port  Arthur,  and  for  a  reward  herself  took 
that  famous  naval  station  as  soon  as  national  decency  permitted.  It 
is  true  that  the  Russians  waited  till  the  Germans  had  taken  Kiao  chau, 
and  that  Port  Arthur  was  announced  to  be  held  only  by  a  lease,  but 
these  statements  impressed  no  one. 

As  soon  as  Russia  was  safely  settled  at  Port  Arthur,  with  the  whole 
of  the  peculiar  peninsula  known  as  the  "Regent's  Sword"  in  her  grasp, 
the  clutch  for  Chinese  territory  began.  England  demanded  and 
obtained  Wei-hai-wei,  opposite  Port  Arthur,  and  therefore  another 
guard  over  the  Gulf  of  Pechili  and  the  access  by  water  to  Peking. 
France  at  the  same  time  secured  Wang-chau-wan,  far  to  the  southward 
and  convenient  to  the  boundary  between  China  and  the  French  posses- 
sions of  the  Tonkin  or  Indo-China.  Italy  demanded,  but  was  refused. 
Ran  Mun  Bay,  not  far  south  of  Shanghai. 

The  next  spectacular  step  was  the  virtual  acquisition  of  the  whole 
of  Manchuria  by  the  Russians,  under  the  guise  of  a  treaty  of  trade  and 
railway  concessions.  It  permitted  them  to  extend  the  Siberian  Railway 
from  Onon  right  across  Manchuria  to  Vladivostok,  with  another  line 
southward  to  terminate  at  Port  Arthur,  after  passing  through  Harbin, 
Tsitsikar  and  Mukden.  The  terms  of  this  "lease^'  permitted  the  Rus- 
sians to  fortify  and  garrison  along  the  line  for  the  protection  of  the  rail- 
way, they  to  be  the  ones  to  judge  the  number  of  troops  required.  This, 
of  course,  meant  a  virtual  military  occupation  of  the  country. 


314  CHINA-JAPANESE   WAR. 

From  this  moment  railway  concessions  were  forced  from  the  Chinese 
authorities  with  great  rapidity,  mining  privileges  and  other  franchises 
accompanying  them.  All  of  these  things  were  a  constant  source  of  irri- 
tation to  the  people,  who  saw  their  own  interests  little  considered  and 
always  second  to  those  of  the  foreigners  when  the  foreigners  were  shar- 
ing in  the  matter.  No  authority  fails  to  name  these  things  first  in  the 
list  of  causes  of  the  Boxer  outbreak. 

Dr.  Alexander  M.  Cunningham,  who  has  been  for  nine  years  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  at  Peking,  in  discussing  the  gen- 
eral situation  and  the  blame  of  the  Empress  Dowager  for  the  outbreak, 
writes  as  follows : 

"Among  the  chief  reasons  why  this  anti-foreign  feeling  increased  in 
bitterness  are  the  following:  First,  the  aggressions  of  Western  nations. 
Russia  has  practically  seized  Manchuria,  including  Port  Arthur,  the 
Gibraltar  of  North  China.  England  must  be  treated  like  Russia,  so  she 
was  allowed  to  take  Wei-hai-wei,  the  fortification  across  the  strait  from 
Port  Arthur.  Germany  seized  Kiao-Chau  Bay  and  the  land  within  a 
radius  of  thirty  miles,  with  special  railroad-building  and  mining  privi- 
leges in  the  whole  province  of  Shantung.  France  is  not  less  greedy  in 
her  desires  after  slices  of  territory  and  strategic  points  in  Southern 
China.  Italy  asked  for  a  foothold,  but  has  thus  far  been  denied.  Sec- 
ond, the  purpose  to  divide  up  China  among  the  nations  was  openly 
talked  of  even  in  the  presence  of  the  Chinese  themselves.  Third,  natural 
antagonism  to  Christianity.  Fourth,  innate  hatred  against  foreigners. 
Fifth,  injustice  done  the  Chinese  by  foreigners,  especially  by  traders. 
Sixth,  the  present  drought  in  Northern  China,  the  cause  of  which  these 
superstitious  people  think  to  be  the  presence  of  aliens  who  honor  not, 
but  offend,  their  gods  and  desecrate  the  ancestral  tombs  by  building  rail- 
roads or  by  digging  mines.  These  things,  and  especially  aggression, 
partition  and  drought,  I  regard  as  the  causes  of  the  present  anti-foreign 
demonstrations  in  China. 

"China  has  been  preparing  for  this  struggle  by  laying  in  supplies  of 
the  munitions  of  war.  The  devout  Buddhist  priests  are  praying  three 
hours  daily  for  the  death  of  all  aliens  in  the  empire.  The  Big  Sword 
and  Boxer  bands  have  been  arming  and  drilling  for  this  mighty  conflict 
and  declare  themselves  'for  the  Manchu  dynasty,  opposed  to  Christian- 
ity, and  determined  to  keep  on  an  awful  struggle  in  order  to  drive  all  for- 
eigners from  the  land'  and  keep  China  sacredly  for  the  Chinese. 


CHINA-JAPANESE   WAE.  ai5 

"With  these  societies  are  strong  popular  sentiment,  many  of  the 
skilled  generals,  best  equipped,  patriotic  and  brave  soldiers,  so  that  the 
Empress  very  naturally  feels  loath  to  antagonize  and  also  fearful  lest 
she  may  precipitate  a  rebellion,  and  with  her  army  against  her  what  can 
she  do?  The  deteriorated  Manchu  soldiers  are  no  match  for  the  moun- 
tain and  stalwart  'braves.' 

"When  we  remember  the  above  facts  and  also  remember  the  astute- 
ness of  this  Empress  Dowager,  who  has  ruled  one-fourth  of  the  world 
for  nearly  forty  years,  we  believe  that  she  has  not  willingly  but  of  neces- 
sity seen  the  horrible  deeds  of  massacre  perpetrated  by  her  patriotic  but 
fantastically  anti-foreign  and  barbarous  troops." 

Although  Great  Britain  was  quick  to  demand  the  port  of  Wei-hai- 
wei  as  a  compensation  for  the  Russian  acquisition  of  Port  Arthur,  the 
two  nations  have  treated  their  prizes  in  very  different  fashion.  Feodor 
Ivomanoff,  a  writer  in  Vladivostok,  has  outlined  the  circumstances 
clearly  in  the  following  letter,  dated  July  1 : 

"Now  that  the  Chinese  question  has  become  acute,  yoa  will  have  a 
chance  to  see,  before,  indeed,  this  can  reach  you,  the  vast  difference 
between  Russian  and  English  methods  and  diplomacy — I  should  say  the 
difference  between  a  policy  and  the  entire  lack  of  one.  At  the  first  out- 
break in  Manchuria,  along  the  line  of  the  Chinese  Eastern  Railway, 
which  was  promptly  suppressed,  orders  were  given  for  troops  via  Sibe- 
ria«  Forty  thousand  were  soon  on  the  way.  By  the  17th  of  June  2,000 
troops  and  300  horses  had  left  this  port  on  the  Dalny  Vostok,  just  in  from 
Tacoma,  and  others  have  been  going  since.  Perhaps  Russia's  railroad 
policy  may  under  this  new  light  seem  not  so  selfish  as  far-sighted  and 
statesmanlike.  You  have  not  far  to  go  to  seek,  for  the  statesman  who 
carried  out  so  masterfully  the  traditions  of  the  empire  is  now  our 
Ambassador  at  Washington,  Count  Cassini. 

"Recollect  that  it  was  only  in  December,  1897,  that  a  Russian  fleet 
appeared  in  Port  Arthur.  What  a  clatter  of  conjectures,  fears,  por- 
tents and  opinions  there  was!  But  by  March,  1898,  Russian  policy  with 
regard  to  the  port  and  the  entire  Liaotung  peninsula  was  declared  open 
and  above  board,  and  has  been  so  maintained.  Viewed  in  any  light, 
diplomatic,  business  or  strategic,  Russia  does  not  lose  anything.  In 
1880  the  Chinese  began  to  improve  the  harbor  and  erect  fortifications. 
German,  French  and  English  engineers,  working  for  China,  created  the 
docks,  workshops,  storehouses,  etc.,  and  Port  Arthur  became  a  naval 


316  CHINA-JAPANESE   WAR. 

port,  at  an  expenditure  of  |40,000,000.  It  was  certainly  a  desirable 
piece  of  property  to  acquire  or  lease,  and  scarcely  any  European  power 
would  have  hesitated  to  buy  or  rent  such  an  advantageously  situated 
tract.  Since  it  has  come  into  Russian  jurisdiction  nothing  has  been 
spared  in  the  way  of  science,  money,  skill  and  energy  to  improve  it, 
and  whenever  China  is  prepared  to  take  it  back  and  pay  expenses  she 
will  find  that  Russia  carefully  guards  whatever  is  intrusted  temporarily 
or  entirely  to  her  keeping. 

"By  way  of  contrast,  recollect  again  that  in  May,  1898,  Great  Britain 
took  possession  of  Wei-hai-wei.  It,  too,  must  have  a  port  or  harbor  of 
refuge  if  Russia  was  to  have  one,  and  it  was  to  be  held  so  long  as  Russia 
should  hold  Port  Arthur.  Unable  to  prevent  the  occupation  of  Port 
Arthur,  England  eagerly  grabbed  at  the  half-loaf.  Wonderful  stories 
were  told  of  what  Wei-hai-wei  would  become  under  the  civilizing  touch 
of  the  magic  English  wand.  The  genius  of  her  statesmen,  the  skill  of 
her  engineers,  and  her  natural  talent  for  overcoming  difficulties  of  time 
and  place  and  peoples  were  all  pointed  out,  and  great  were  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  world  at  large. 

"It  is  now  1900,  and  what  is  the  condition  of  Wei-hai-wei?  Abso- 
lutely nothing  done  which  by  any  stretch  of  imagination  could  be 
described  as  national  work.  Yes,  the  island  of  Lin  Kung  has  been 
bought  from  the  Chinese  land-owners.  There  is  a  battalion  of  Chinese, 
officered  by  crack  Englishmen — fine  fellows,  for  I  met  two  of  them  last 
fall  taking  a  look  at  Vladivostok.  They  are,  I  believe,  preparing  to 
mount  two  heavy  guns  on  the  island.  But  at  this  writing  Wei-hai-wei  is 
of  no  earthly  use.  In  the  event  of  war  it  would  have  to  be  abandoned, 
or,  on  the  other  hand,  it  would  take  the  greater  part  of  the  British  fleet 
in  China  to  protect  it.  It  would  take  from  |30,000,000  to  |G0,000,000 
to  put  it  into  anything  like  the  defensive  condition  of  Russia's  only  ice- 
free  harbor.  There  is  no  British  coaling  station  north  of  Hongkong,  and 
for  all  docking  and  repairs  the  British  fleet,  as  is  well  known,  depends 
upon  Japan. 

"Labor  is  worth  about  10  cents  a  day  at  Wei-hai-wei,  but  no  break- 
water has  been  built  to  secure  ships  from  torpedo-boat  attacks.  Lin 
Kung  also  stands  sadly  in  need  of  fortifying.  In  fact,  in  this  much- 
vaunted  British  acquisition  there  are  neither  coal  stores,  ammunition 
magazines,  nor  dry  docks.     But  the  literature  of  these  subjects  ever 


CHINA-JAPANESE   WAR.  317 

since  the  occupation  is  simply  enormous.  If  my  memory  serves,  there 
was  an  ocean  cable  to  Hongkong  projected. 

"Evidently  England  doesn't  think  much  of  her  concession,  and  since 
Port  Arthur  is  so  well  fortified,  and  still  larger  outlays  ordered,  it  is 
reasonably  safe  to  say  Wei-hai-wei  will  remain  as  it  is  for  some  years 
to  come.  At  present  it  is  a  mud  village  only.  It  is  not  even  included 
formally  in  British  territory.  Within  six  weeks,  while  attempting  to 
define  the  limits,  there  was  very  near  a  serious  row  with  the  Chinese,  and 
several  were  killed.  Only  the  personal  bravery  and  promptitude  of  the 
British  officers  prevented  a  riot  and  massacre.  There  is  a  police  magis- 
trate at  Wei-hai-wei  paid  by  the  British,  but  the  place  has  no  civil  rank. 
The  population  is  very  small.  Only  one  steamer  calls  there  regularly, 
the  Nagato-Maru,  a  Japanese  vessel,  once  in  two  weeks.  It  is  currently 
reported,  with  I  know  not  how  much  truth,  that  the  Chinese  authorities 
have  never  publicly  recognized  the  British  occupation  or  the  transfer 
of  the  territory  for  fear  of  exciting  the  people." 

Interesting  statistics  concerning  foreigners  in  China  are  contained 
in  a  report  in  regard  to  the  trade  relations  between  China  and  the 
United  States,  made  by  Consul  Fowler  at  Chefu,  and  dated  May  7.  The 
table  of  foreigners  is  divided  into  two  classes — residents  and  firms — and 
includes  statistics  for  the  years  1898  and  1899.  The  total  foreign  resi- 
dents are  stated  as  follows:  1898,  13,421;  1899,  17,193,  and  the  foreign 
firms  as  follows:    1898,  773;  1899,  933. 

The  nationality  of  the  foreign  element  for  1899  is  stated  as  follows: 

American — Residents,  2,335,  an  increase  of  279;  firms,  70,  an  increase 
of  27. 

British — Residents,  5,562,  an  increase  of  414 ;  firms,  401,  an  increase 
of  3. 

German — Residents,  1,134,  an  increase  of  91;  firms,  115,  an  increase 
of  8. 

French — Residents,  1,183,  an  increase  of  263;  firms,  76,  an  increase 
of  39. 

Dutch — Residents,  106,  an  increase  of  19 ;  firms,  9,  an  increase  of  1. 

Danish — Residents,  128,  an  increase  of  11;  firms,  4,  an  increase  of  1. 

Spanish — Residents,  448,  an  increase  of  53;  firms,  9,  an  increase  of  5. 

Swedish  and  Norwegian — Residents,  244,  an  increase  of  44;  firms,  2, 
an  increase  of  2. 


318  CHINA-JAPANESE   WAR. 

Russian — Residents,  1,621,  an  increase  of  1,456;  firms,  19,  an  increase 
of  3. 

Austrian — Residents,  90,  a  decrease  of  2;  firms,  5,  no  change. 

Belgian — Residents,  234,  an  increase  of  65;  firms,  9,  no  change. 

Italian — Residents,  124,  a  decrease  of  17;  firms,  9,  no  change. 

Japanese — Residents,  2,440,  an  increase  of  746;  firms,  195,  an  increase 
of  81. 

Portuguese — Residents,  1,423,  an  increase  of  339;  firms,  10,  a  decrease 
of  10. 

Korean — Residents,  42,  an  increase  of  2;  no  firms. 

Non-Treaty  Powers — Residents,  29,  an  increase  of  2;  no  firms. 

The  total  number  of  residents,  17,193,  shows  an  increase  of  3,772  over 
1898.  The  total  number  of  firms,  933,  shows  an  increase  of  160  over 
1898. 

The  figures  show  that  Russia  made  the  greatest  gain  in  the  number 
of  residents  and  Japan  in  the  number  of  firms,  France  coming  next  in 
the  latter  respect. 

Consul  Fowler  says  that  these  figures  do  not  include  the  leased  ports, 
and  that  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  the  case  of  Great  Britain  a  large 
number  of  Indians  and  Asiatics  (Chinese  born  in  Hongkong,  the  Straits, 
etc.)  are  included. 

Consequently  it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  true  number  of  British 
in  China.  Moreover,  by  British  law,  every  subject  is  compelled  to  reg- 
ister in  his  consulate,  but  with  Americans  this  registration  is  optional. 
Consul  Fowler  expresses  the  belief  that  the  number  of  American  resi- 
dents is  greatly  understated. 

There  were,  in  April,  1898,  thirty-five  treaty  ports  and  ports  of  call 
in  China.  The  following  list  was  furnished  by  the  United  States  Minis- 
ter, and  gives  the  names  of  the  treaties,  the  dates  of  the  opening  of  the 
ports,  and  the  estimated  population  of  each  place. 

Treaty  of  Nanking  with  Great  Britain,  August  29,  1842: 

Shanghai 1854  500,000 

Canton 1859  2,500,000 

Ningpo 1860  255,000 

Fuchau   1861  650,000 

Amoy 1862  96,000 

Treaty  of  Tientsin  with  Great  Britain,  July  26, 1858: 
Swatow 1860  35,000 


CHINA-JAPANESE   WAR.  319 

Niuchiiang   1861  60,000 

Chefu  1861  35,000 

Kiungchan  1876  40,000 

Not  named  in  treaty,  but  afterwards  designated: 

Chinkiang   1861  140,000 

Kiukiang  1862  55,000 

Hankau  1862  80,000 

Peking  convention  with  Great  Britain,  October  24, 1860: 

Tientsin 1861  950,000 

Treaty  between  France  and  China,  October  25,  I860* 

Nanking Unknown 

Treaty  with  Russia,  November  2,  1860: 

Kashgar Unknown 

Chefu  convention  with  Great  Britain,  September  13,  1876: 

Ichang   1877  34,000 

Wuhu 1877  79,000 

Wenchau 1877  80,000 

Pakhoi 1877  20,000 

Treaty  with  France,  June  26, 1877: 

Lungchau .1888  22,000 

Mengtsz   1888  12,000 

Manhao   - Unknown 

Additional  articles  to  the  Chefu    convention    with  Great  Britain, 
March  31,  1890: 

Chungking   1890  300,000 

Regulations  appended  to  Sikkem-Thibet  convention  of  1890,  with 
Great  Britain,  December  5,  1893: 

Yatung 1894  Unknown 

Convention  with  Great  Britain,  March  1, 1894 : 

Manwyne Unknown 

Treaty  with  Japan,  April  17,  1895: 

fehashih 1896  73,000 

Chungking    

Suchau 1896  500,000 

Hangchau 1896  700,000 

Gerard  supplementary  convention  with  France,  June  20, 1895: 

Szemao   1896  15,000 


320  CHINA-JAPANESE   WAR. 

Under  special  treaty  with  Great  Britain,  February  4, 1897: 

Samshui 1897  4,000 

Wucliaii 1897  50,000 

Opened  by  an  imperial  decree  of  March  31, 1898: 

Yo-chau Unknown 

Santuao Unknown 

Chinwangtao Unknown 

Opened  by  an  imperial  decree  of  April  7,  1898  : 

Wusung Unknown 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN   CHINA. 

Li  Hung  Chang,  the  Most  Famous  Oriental  a  of  the  Age— His  Great  Wealth— His  Tour  of  the 
World— A  Chinese  Estimate  of  His  Worth— Prince  Ching,  the  Polished— A  Friend  of 
Foreigners — The  Southern  Viceroys — Not  in  Sympathy  with  the  Boxer  Element— Yuan 
Shih  Kai,  the  Governor  of  Shantung— A  Military  Leader — His  ProgressiTe  Character 
— The  Emperor  and  the  Empress  Dowager. 

THE  yellow  empire  drama  has  brought  the  names  of  many 
Chinese  diplomats,  soldiers,  and  men  of  affairs  prominently 
before  the  world,  but  among  them  all  Earl  Li  Hung  Chang 
occupies  the  most  important  place  in  the  public  eye.  His 
career  has  been  a  remarkable  one,  and  he  may  be  considered  as  an 
excellent  example  of  a  self-made  Chinaman.  His  family  had  neither 
fortune  nor  influence,  and  when  he  and  his  two  brothers  had  finished 
their  primary  education,  it  was  impossible  to  pay  for  a  college  train- 
ing for  all  of  them.  Lots  were  drawn  to  see  who  should  be  the  "savant" 
of  the  family.  Whether  Li's  strategy  and  cunning  served  him  in  stead 
on  this  occasion  or  not  is  not  known,  but  at  any  rate  he  chose  the  lucky 
number,  and  was  accordingly  given  a  college  course.  In  those  days  his 
intellect  did  not  seem  to  startle  his  professors,  and  about  all  the  praise 
they  ever  gave  him  was  for  his  penmanship.  He  could,  and  can  still, 
write  the  puzzling  characters  with  great  rapidity  and  precision. 

Li  Hung  Chang  is  said  to  be  the  richest  man  in  the  world,  but  of 
that  no  person  is  certain,  as  he  has  never  divulged  his  financial  status. 
The  foundations  of  his  enormous  wealth  were  laid  during  the  Tai-ping 
rebellion,  where  by  his  shrewdness  he  obtained  the  glory  for  "Chinese" 
Gordon's  victories.  Since  that  time  he  has  gradually  widened  his  influ- 
ence and  increased  his  power  in  the  empire,  and  has  used  his  official 
power  to  add  to  his  wealth ;  so  much  so  that  a  popular  Chinese  proverb 
of  the  time  runs:  "Every  dog  that  barks  for  Li  is  fat."  The  family  owns 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  land,  numerous  silk  stores,  and 
pawnshops  all  over  the  empire.  Li's  crookedness  after  his  return  from 
his  trip  around  the  world  was  again  seen  in  such  an  open  way  that  the 
British  minister  was  forced  to  denounce  him  for  acting  the  part  of  a 
Judas  in  the  tsung-li-yamen,  and  the  British  government  was  obliged 


324  GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

to  demand  his  dismissal.  He  did  not  remain  long  in  disgrace,  however, 
and  is  now  wielding  a  greater  influence  than  ever. 

It  is  worth  while  reproducing  a  Chinese  estimate  of  Li  Hung  Chang 
printed  by  a  vernacular  newspaper  which  was  published  at  Hongkong, 
at  the  time  when  Li  thought  of  going  up  to  Peking  to  personally  assist 
in  suppressing  the  Boxers.  This  paper,  the  Chun  Ngoi  San  Po,  said: 
"The  merchants  and  all  the  citizens  at  Canton  are  deeply  grieved  at  the 
intelligence  that  his  excellency  Li  Hung  Chang  has  been  ordered  to 
Peking  to  take  steps  to  suppress  the  riots  in  the  north.  It  is  a  fact  that 
his  excellency  is  far  the  best  of  all  the  viceroys  that  have  ever  ruled  the 
province  of  Kuan-tung,  which  suffered  much  from  the  corrupt  adminis- 
tration by  the  late  viceroy.  Tan  Chung-lin,  who  was  useless  and  lazy, 
and  whose  squeezing  propensities  were  such  that  he  was  nicknamed 
'bottomless  purse.'  Owing  to  his  maladministration  the  province  of 
Quan-tung,  as  well  as  the  neighboring  one  of  Kuang-si,  has  been  over- 
run with  rebels,  robbers  and  pirates,  and  all  sorts  of  crimes  have  been 
committed.  Since  his  excellency  Li  Hung  Chang  arrived  he  has  dis- 
missed nearly  all  the  useless  officers  and  those  of  'squeezing'  habits,  and 
has  taken  active  measures  to  suppress  the  bad  characters,  robbers  and 
pirates,  many  of  whom  have  suffered  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law. 
The  notorious  pirates  and  robbers,  having  been  overawed  by  the  action 
of  the  venerable  viceroy,  have  nearly  all  fled  away  or  hidden  themselves 
in  mountain  fastnesses.  There  is  a  general  agreement  among  the  people 
that  if  Li  Hung  Chang  continues  to  occupy  the  viceroyship  for  three 
years  Quan-tung  will  be  the  most  peaceful  province  of  the  empire." 
There  must  be  some  good  in  the  man  to  draw  forth  such  remarks  from 
a  Chinese  journalist. 

Prince  Ching,  the  gallant  Manchu  general  who  took  up  arms  against 
the  Boxers,  and  fought  to  save  the  legations  and  their  inmates,  is  an 
educated  gentleman,  and  a  friend  of  the  foreigners. 

As  the  lord  chamberlain  of  the  court,  it  has  been  the  duty  of  Prince 
Ching  to  receive  on  behalf  of  both  the  dowager  empress  and  the  emperor 
all  distinguished  visitors.  Now  the  cultivated  Chinaman,  whatever  his 
inner  nature  may  be,  is  given  to  the  most  profuse  outward  courtesies. 
The  chamberlain  of  the  purple  palace  has  to  conform  to  an  etiquette 
infinitely  more  rigid  and  exacting  than  that  which  prevails  at  the  court 
of  St.  James.  Ching  in  this  capacity  ever  won  golden  opinions  from 
both  his  royal  master  and  mistress  and  from  the  stranger  within  the 


GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA.  325 

gates.  He  was  the  pink  of  politeness,  a  past  master  in  the  art  of  flowery 
speech. 

Ching  belonged  to  that  party  in  Peking  which  favored  slow  reform. 
He  was  fully  alive  to  the  trend  of  events;  he  accepted  the  inevitable 
ingress  of  foreigners ;  he  realized  the  strength  and  the  resources  of  the 
powers;  and  while  seeming  to  bend  to  their  demands,  he  exerted  his 
energies  to  render  every  concession  as  empty  as  possible,  and  to  dam 
the  flowing  tide  as  far  as  a  mortal  celestial  statesman  might  do  it  with 
safety  to  himself  and  his  position. 

As  president  of  the  tsung-li-yamen,  the  board  of  control  over  foreign 
affairs.  Prince  Ching  had  unrivaled  opportunities  of  playing  the  part 
which  an  educated  Manchu  patriot  should.  Ever  urbane,  ever  suave, 
he  listened  patiently  to  all  the  ministers  had  to  say,  and  when  they  had 
finished  displayed  astute  political  coyness. 

When  Lord  Charles  Beresford  visited  the  tsung-li-yamen  in  1898, 
Prince  Ching  was  in  his  seat  and  spoke  for  that  body.  Prince  Ching 
assured  his  illustrious  visitor  that  he  and  his  fellow-councilors  were 
fully  alive  to  the  value  of  British  trade  and  commerce.  He  eulogized 
the  notable  services  which  the  late  General  Gordon,  during  the  Tai-ping 
rebellion,  and  subsequently,  Sir  Robert  Hart,  as  inspector  general  of 
imperial  maritime  customs,  had  rendered  to  China,  and  the  Chinese 
administration,  and  he  spoke  warmly  of  feelings  of  friendship  toward 
Britain. 

The  exact  degree  of  truth  which  underlay  his  words  is  impossible 
to  gauge,  but  at  any  rate  he  acted  in  good  faith  toward  Lord  Charles 
Beresford,  as  two  days  later  Prince  Ching  returned  his  visit,  bringing 
assurances  of  the  good  will  of  the  emperor  and  empress  dowager,  and 
announcing  that,  in  accordance  with  Lord  Charles*  suggestion  made 
two  days  previously,  a  special  edict  had  been  issued  to  the  Viceroy  of 
Hunan  and  Hupeh  to  have  2,000  troops  ready  to  be  drilled  and  organ- 
ized by  a  British  officer.  The  imperial  good  will  and  special  edict  were 
undoubtedly  due  to  the  influence  of  Ching. 

During  the  interview  with  Lord  Charles  Beresford  the  question  of 
the  organization  of  the  military  forces  of  China  was  discussed,  Lord 
Charles  maintaining  that  the  present  system  of  provincial  armies  was 
ineffective.  To  this  the  prince  replied  with  conservative  instinct  that 
he  did  not  think  it  would  be  possible  to  alter  the  old  established  custom 


326  GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

and  practice  of  having  these  provincial  armies  to  maintain  order  in 
China. 

But  the  idea  of  a  small  body  of  regulars  trained  by  European 
officers  plainly  appealed  to  Ching,  who  must  have  seen  clearly  into 
vrhat  a  whirlpool  of  disaster  unrestrained  rebellion  might  at  any  time 
plunge  the  administration. 

Liu  Kun-yi  is  viceroy  of  the  three  provinces  Kiang-su,  Kiang-si,  and 
Gan-hwuy,  the  viceregal  yamen  being  in  Nankin.  With  reference  to 
this  ruler  Dr.  Macklin,  an  authority  on  Chinese  affairs,  says: 

"He  is  the  head  or  doyen  of  the  revolting  viceroys  of  China.  If  a 
government  should  be  formed  in  opposition  to  the  Peking  government 
Liu  would  be  the  president  or  head.  He  is  an  opium  fiend,  who  spends 
most  of  his  time  tied  to  his  pipe  or  nursing  his  digestive  trouble  due 
to  the  abuse  of  opium.  He  is  evidently  in  his  second  childhood,  for  he 
nurses  at  a  woman's  breast  to  keep  up  his  strength.  Of  course  his 
official  duties  are  much  neglected  and  business  is  carried  on  by  his 
underlings.  In  the  riots  of  1891  all  the  yamen  knew  that  there  was 
going  to  be  a  riot,  but  Liu  knew  nothing  of  it — so  I  was  told  by  a  lead- 
ing officer.  If  foreigners  had  not  appealed  directly  to  the  viceroy  there 
would  have  been  no  protection.  A  few  years  ago  the  viceroy's  under- 
lings shut  off  the  supply  of  charity  rice  too  early,  and  thousands  died 
of  starvation  in  a  few  days.  The  old  gentleman,  intoxicated  with  opium, 
very  likely  knew  nothing  of  this.  The  treasurer  in  Nankin  is  a  Tartar. 
The  leading  general,  Yang  King  Lung,  is  a  wideawake  fellow,  and 
friendly  to  foreigners  and  reform  ideas.  Several  of  the  other  generals 
have  had  much  friendly  intercourse  with  foreigners." 

The  British  consul  and  the  commissioner  of  customs  see  the  viceroy 
frequently,  and  he  has  issued  many  anti-Boxer  proclamations.  His 
latest  runs  as  follows: 

"I,  Liu,  the  viceroy  of  the  Liang  Kiang,  again  issue  this  proclamation 
to  make  it  known  to  all  the  people  within  my  jurisdiction  that,  though 
ruffians  (Boxers)  may  make  trouble  in  the  north,  I  have  done  all  in  my 
power  to  prevent  these  spreading  to  the  south.  I  have  also  repeatedly 
ordered  all  the  officials  under  my  control  to  take  every  measure  for  the 
protection  of  commercial  affairs,  as  well  as  to  look  after  the  churches 
of  the  different  religions.  I  have  again  and  again  wired  to  the  officials 
under  my  control  to  consult  with  the  gentry  to  make  the  best  arrange- 
ment for  protection.    Now  the  public  must  beai'  in  mind  that  the  pres- 


GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA.  327 

ent  troubles  in  the  north  are  caused  solely  by  the  actions  of  the  ruffians 
(Boxers)  there,  and  were  not  in  the  least  anticipated  or  intended  by 
tlie  government.  In  fact,  it  is  entirely  unexpected.  Natives  and  for^ 
eigners  alike  should  be  protected.  It  must  be  remembered  that  there 
are  also  Chinese  in  foreign  countries,  and  that  therefore  it  is  but  just 
that  foreigners  here  should  be  protected,  as  are  the  Chinese  in  other 
countries.  This  is  according  to  civilized  rites  and  usage.  Therefore  ar- 
rangements have  been  made  with  the  consuls  of  the  various  powers, 
through  the  Shanghai  taotai,  that  the  lives  and  property  of  foreigners, 
and  especially  business  men  and  missionaries,  shall  be  protected  by 
the  local  officials,  both  in  the  interior  and  along  the  Yangtse.  Here- 
after, no  matter  what  may  be  the  condition  of  affairs,  their  lives  and 
property  are  to  be  protected  at  all  costs.  So  now  I  notify  you  all  that 
having  thus  explained  these  matters  you  are  not  to  worry  about  affairs, 
but  to  continue  your  regular  business  as  usual.  If  after  this  any  one 
attempts  to  stir  up  trouble  he  will  be  arrested  and  decapitated  without 
leniency.    Let  this  be  obeyed." 

Chang  Chi-Tung,  the  viceroy  of  Hupeh  and  Hunan,  has  a  pretty 
clean  personal  record,  but  is  weak,  and  his  relatives  and  friends  im- 
pose on  him  and  rob  him.  He  is,  in  a  sense,  a  reformer,  but  clings  too 
much  to  the  ancient  system  and  has  not  the  courage  of  his  convictions. 
At  one  time  he  was  a  good  loyal  officer  of  the  emperor,  but  later  on 
meekly  followed  the  empress  dowager.  He  is  noted  for  his  very  im- 
practical schemes,  and  buys  much  machinery  that  is  allowed  to  rust 
and  go  to  waste.  He  does  not  steal,  but  his  relatives  do  so  for  him. 
Many  foreigners  consider  Chang  the  great  man  of  China,  but  on  closer 
acquaintance  are  inclined  to  alter  that  too  emphatic  opinion.  There 
can  be  no  question  that  he  likes  foreign  things. 

A  man  often  spoken  of  in  present  comment  on  China  is  Yuan  Shih 
Kai,  governor  of  the  province  of  Shantung.  There  the  Boxer  trouble 
originated  and  grew  unchecked  until,  overflowing  into  Chili,  it  finally 
reached  Peking  and  Tien-Tsin  with  all  of  its  disastrous  consequences. 

Yuan  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  about  the  first  of  De- 
cember, 1899,  the  supposition  being  that  he,  with  his  army,  was  to 
immediately  suppress  the  Boxers.  He  began  in  good  faith  to  do  this, 
but,  from  all  reports,  was  at  once  checked  by  the  government  at  Pe- 
king. The  Peking  and  Tien-Tsin  Times  of  February  17  had  the  follow- 
ing item:  "It  is  stated  that  the  reason  General  Yuan  has  done  nothing 


328  GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

with  the  Boxers  in  Shantung  is  that  the  empress  dowager  has  warned 
him  that  should  any  disturbances  ensue  from  his  suppression  of  the 
rioters  he  would  be  held  responsible.  With  this  pleasing  prospect  it 
is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  if  he  has  remained  quiescent."  The  cor- 
rectness of  this  statement  was  verified  by  the  whole  attitude  of  the 
Peking  government  toward  the  Boxers.  Members  of  Yuan's  household 
reported  that  he  was  going  to  wipe  the  Boxers  out.  Officers  and  sur- 
geons of  the  army  went  to  Shantung  expecting  an  aggressive  campaign 
against  them,  and  such  a  campaign  was  started,  greatly  to  the  joy  of 
foreign  residents  in  the  province.  Why  it  was  not  continued  the  above 
quotation  indicates. 

Lord  Charles  Beresford,  on  his  tour  of  the  orient,  remarked  at  Tien- 
Tsin,  "I  have  met  one  man  in  China,  and  that  man  is  Yuan."  The  Rev. 
Timothy  Eichard,  editor  of  Signs  of  Progress  in  China,  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Christian  and  General  Knowl- 
edge Among  the  Chinese,  one  of  the  best  known  and  best  informed  men 
in  China,  said  in  Tien-Tsin  in  1898:  "Yuan  is  the  best  man  in  China," 
referring  to  him  of  course  as  an  official.  Among  Chinese  and  foreign- 
ers alike,  Yuan  has  the  reputation  of  being  strictly  honest.  He  has  the 
reputation  of  never  "squeezing,"  and  he  is  certainly  a  man  of  very  great 
ability. 

Such  a  man  might  be  expected  to  be  in  the  forefront  of  the  re- 
formers, and  but  that  he  is  too  cautious  to  be  rash  and  too  wise  to  be 
radical  he  might  be.  Had  the  men  who  attempted  to  reform  China  in 
a  day  had  more  of  a  similar  moderation  they  might  not  have  plunged 
their  cause  into  such  sudden  disaster.  Of  as  advanced  ideas  as  any 
man  in  China,  and  as  true  a  patriot,  he  is  a  man  who  would  be  willing 
to  take  years  to  bring  about  what  the  reformers  attempted  to  bring 
about  in  days.  That  party  calls  him  "the  arch  traitor  of  China."  The 
Chinese  minister  to  Germany  is  reported  as  referring  to  him  as  "a  devil 
known  for  his  treachery."  The  reason  for  these  hard  names  is  the  part 
he  is  reported  to  have  played  in  connection  with  the  dethronement  of 
the  emperor  in  1898. 

The  story  is  that  the  emperor,  having  decided  on  his  well  known 
definite  and  radical  reform  policy,  called  Yuan  to  his  aid,  secretly 
ordering  him  to  Peking  with  his  army  as  a  loyal  guard  to  protect  him 
as  he  inaugurated  his  reform  policy.  Yuan,  however,  advised  with 
Jung  Lu,  then  viceroy  of  Chili,  who  in  turn  gave  the  whole  scheme 


GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA.  329 

away  to  the  empress  dowager,  and  they  two  immediately  accomplished 
the  practical  dethronement  of  Kuang  Hsu.  Since  that  time  Jung  Lu 
has  been  prime  minister  and  generalissimo  of  all  the  army.  Yuan  was 
at  that  time  made  acting  viceroy  of  Chili  for  ten  days,  after  which  he 
returned  to  his  army  at  Hsiao  Chan,  twenty-two  miles  east  of  Tien-Tsin, 
where  he  remained  until  his  appointment  as  governor  of  Shantung. 

The  world  at  large  can  now  see  what  Yuan  must  have  seen  at  the 
time,  how  hopeless  it  would  have  been  for  him  with  his  7,000  fighting 
men  to  have  backed  up  a  movement  that  would  have  had  the  bitter 
opposition  of  the  whole  Manchu  party,  with  50,000  troops  as  well  armed 
as  his  own,  which  they  could  have  brought  against  him.  The  troops 
were  commanded  by  generals,  who,  jealous  of  Yuan,  would  have  heart- 
ily co-operated  in  a  movement  against  him.  Had  the  emperor's  plan 
for  Yuan  carried,  civil  war,  at  least  to  the  destruction  of  Yuan  and  his 
troops,  would  have  been  the  result. 

His  excellency  Yuan  Shih  Kai  is  now  41  years  of  age.  He  comes 
of  an  official  family  of  high  standing  in  the  province  of  Honan.  In 
1881  he  was  sent  to  Korea,  where  as  a  young  civil  officer  he  was  con- 
nected with  a  Chinese  military  guard  stationed  at  the  Korean  capital. 
In  1884  in  an  act  of  exceptionally  aggressive  daring  he  led  the  guard 
into  the  palace,  drove  out  the  Japanese  and  saved  the  lives  of  certain 
members  of  the  Korean  royal  family.  He  was  soon  after  made  minister 
to  Korea,  holding  the  position  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with 
Japan,  when  he  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  In  Seoul  he  was  called 
"a  hog,"  because,  while  foreign  ministers  were  required  to  walk  within 
the  palace  grounds,  he  rode  in  his  chair  to  the  very  palace  door,  his 
guard  going  before  with  bayonets  fixed.  Yuan  was,  however,  but  obey- 
ing orders.  China  at  that  time  held  Korea  to  be  a  vassal  state  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  Yuan's  instructions  required  him  to  carry  him- 
self accordingly. 

After  the  war  Yuan  wa^  put  in  command  of  a  few  thousand  raw 
troops  at  Hsiao  Chan,  a  point  twenty-two  miles  east  of  Tien-Tsin,  and 
a  few  miles  south  of  Peiho,  that  has  long  been  used  as  an  army  camp. 
Here  he  gave  proof  of  his  advanced  ideas  and  of  his  ability.  At  the 
time  Yuan  was  appointed  governor  of  Shantung  this  branch  of  the 
army  under  his  command  consisted  of  7,000  fighting  men  and  3,000 
camp  followers.  In  the  time  of  war  these  camp  followers  are  the 
trench  diggers,  hospital  corps  and  the  men  of  all  work  of  the  army;  in 


330  GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

time  of  peace  they  are  servants  of  the  fighting  force,  each  ten  soldiers? 
being  allowed  a  cook  and  two  servants,  and  officers  a  still  larger  num- 
ber. Of  the  7,000  actual  soldiers  the  infantry  numbers  5,000,  the  ar- 
tillery 1,000,  the  cavalry  500  and  the  engineer  corps  500.  The  infantry 
carry  one  of  the  best  modern  rifles,  the  artillery  force  is  equipped  with 
forty  Krupp  field  guns,  twelve  mountain  guns  and  eighteen  Maxims, 
while  the  cavalry  is  fully  armed  with  light  rifles,  revolvers  and  swords. 

Tsou-Hsi,  the  rather  aged  woman  designated  in  the  newspapers  as 
the  mother  of  the  emperor  or  the  empress  dowager,  is  not  the  mother 
of  the  emperor  of  China,  and  is,  strictly  speaking,  not  entitled  to  the 
title  and  dignity  of  an  empress,  which  moreover  in  a  country  where 
the  "lex  salica"  is  unknown,  but  where  the  male  succession  is  a  dynastic 
principle  nevertheless,  would  be  politically  without  value  were  it  not 
for  the  strongly  marked  character  of  the  individual.  Tsou-Hsi  descends 
from  the  middle  classes,  as  have  many  oriental  woman  sovereigns  since 
the  days  of  the  renowned  Teophana.  Her  father  was  a  merchant  on  a 
small  scale,  who  sold  the  girl,  scarcely  out  of  childhood's  days,  to  one 
of  the  governors  of  a  province.  Miss  Tsou-Hsi  must  have  been  shrewd 
and  ambitious  even  in  her  teens.  She  learned  to  read,  and  attracted 
the  attention  of  her  lord  and  master  to  such  a  degree  that  he,  in 
recognition  of  an  imperial  favor,  made  the  emperor  a  present  of  the 
pretty  and  adaptable  slave. 

Tsien-Fung,  the  "Son  of  Heaven,"  though  sorely  pressed  by  the 
Taiping  revolution  and  the  Franco-British  invasion,  found  time  to  re- 
view the  slaves  of  his  household  occasionally,  and  at  one  of  these 
musters  his  eye  rested  with  approval  upon  the  attractions  of  Tsou-Hsi. 
She  became  the  emperor's  favorite;  he  bestowed  upon  her,  immediately 
following  his  legitimate  wife,  the  second  position  as  one  of  the  prin- 
cesses of  the  empire,  and  subsequently  chose  the  son  of  his  favorite  his 
heir. 

The  guardianship  of  the  boy  until  his  majority  was  to  be  jointly  in 
the  empress  and  the  favorite,  but  a  secret  paragraph  of  the  imperial 
testament  directed  that  in  critical  situations  the  empress-widow  should 
act  according  to  her  own  individual  views.  When  Tsien-Fung  had 
shown  in  his  wisdom  that  he  preferred  the  illegitimate  wife,  but  that 
he  placed  greater  confidence  in  the  legitimate  sharer  of  his  joys  and 
sorrows,  he  laid  himself,  soon  after  the  Peking  treaty  of  peace,  down 
to  die.    And  Tsou-Hsi  was  then  the  mother  of  an  emperor. 


GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA.  331 

This  was  not  much,  as  it  went— at  least,  not  enough  for  the  am- 
bition of  the  daughter  of  a  bourgeois,  who  had  learned  to  distinguish 
between  power  and  appearance,  actuality  and  semblance.  She  wanted 
to  rule  alone — unrestrictedly  rule.  The  way  to  this  goal  had  to  be 
cleared  of  two  formidable  obstacles.  The  daughter  of  the  empress- 
widow  hated  the  empress-widow,  but  hated  her  more  cordially  since 
she  had  learned  of  the  secret  clause  in  the  testament.  Whether  for- 
tune smiled  upon  the  adventuress  or  whether  the  mysterious  art  of 
the  palace  eunuchs  aided  her  cannot  be  told  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty. At  any  rate,  the  hated  empress-widow  died,  and  the  guardian- 
ship had  no  longer  to  be  divided. 

In  the  meantime  some  work  had  been  done  in  the  line  of  removing 
the  other  obstacle,  but  this  work  remained  to  be  completed.  Tsien- 
Fung  had  appointed  three  regents,  who  were  to  conduct  the  affairs  of 
state  during  his  son's  minority.  This  did  not  suit  Tsou-Hsi.  She  came 
to  an  agreement  with  her  brother-in-law.  Prince  Kung;  the  objection- 
able triumvirs  were  beheaded  without  much  of  a  trial,  and  Kung  since 
that  time  conducted  the  regency  with  two  ministers.  Commercial 
treaties  were  concluded,  foreign  ambassadors  were  invited  to  Peking, 
the  last  Taiping  followers  and  rebellious  Mohammedans  were  subju- 
gated— and  Tsou-Hsi  sat  in  the  council  of  the  men. 

But  in  due  course  of  time  Tung-Shi  came  of  age,  and  the  time  of  the 
regency  was  passed.  The  mother  probably  would  have  had  no  trouble 
in  ruling  despite  Tung-Shi,  but  he  was  weakly,  and  the  physicians  who 
surrounded  him  from  morning  till  night  made  the  worst  prognostica- 
tions. Tsou-Hsi  had  to  count  on  the  possibility  of  an  early  death. 
What  then?  The  wife  of  the  emperor  of  nineteen  years  gave  promise 
of  presenting  him  with  an  heir.  The  latter  might  be  selected  by  Tung- 
Shi  as  his  successor  and  might  transfer  the  regency  to  his  widow.  This 
was  not  to  be  thought  of.  Tsou-Hsi  had  always  indulged  the  excesses 
of  the  young  emperor,  who  consequently  carried  the  fruitful  germ  of 
an  early  death  in  him.  Was  it  not  better  for  him  and  for  the  empire 
if  he  should  be  spared  a  slow  withering?  Tung-Shi  was  scarcely  20 
years  old  when  he  died,  and  his  widow  soon  followed  him  in  death  with- 
out giving  birth  to  an  heir.  Tsou-Hsi  then  had  her  three  year-old 
nephew,  Kuang-Su,  declared  emperor. 

Since  then  twenty-five  years  have  passed,  and  over  the  mythical 
Ohung-wa,  the  giant  flower  which  blossoms  in  the  center  of  the  earth, 


332  GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

many  a  storm  has  raged.  The  misfortune  began  with  the  loss  of  Annam 
and  Tonking,  and  the  French  were  followed  by  British,  Russians, 
Japanese  and  Germans,  who  all  tore  big  slices  from  the  giant  body  of 
the  empire.  Who  is  responsible  for  this  debacle  of  a  power  that  seemed 
unconquerable?  The  question  is  not  easy  to  answer. 

Kuang-Su  has  the  title  of  a  Son  of  Heaven.  He,  who  is  said  to  look 
like  a  shy,  sickly,  but  not  unintelligent  Tartar  boy,  received  the  highest 
dignitaries  of  the  empire  in  the  dead  of  the  night  and  signed  imperial 
edicts.  Before  him  foreign  ambassadors  bent  their  knees  when  they 
were  first  permitted  to  penetrate  into  the  interior  of  the  palace.  Yet 
never  since  his  majority  has  Kuang-Su  known  the  sensation  which  the 
possession  of  powder  is  said  to  vouchsafe  to  the  strong.  The  poor  em- 
peror is  not  strong  and  he  was  doomed  to  continual  defeat  in  a  fight 
against  a  character  which  seems  to  be  barren  of  all  attributes  of  femin- 
ine grace.  Efforts  on  the  emperor^s  part  were  not  lacking,  but  they 
were  all  without  any  other  result  than  the  one  that  Tsou-Hsi  was  not 
permitted  to  rule  in  name  as  she  did  in  fact.  But  she  was  accustomed 
too  long  to  despotic  ruling  to  submit  even  to  this,  and  every  new  poli- 
tical issue  led  to  renewed  conflicts  between  the  emperor  and  his  follow- 
ers on  the  one  and  Tsou-Hsi  on  the  other  side.  Beneath  the  smooth  sur- 
face of  the  two  courts  the  animosity  grew,  and  when  the  Japanese  had 
reached  the  first  station  on  their  victorious  march  the  catastrophe  came. 

In  opposition  to  his  aunt  and  her  advisers  Li  and  Kung,  the  emperor 
had  favored  the  war,  and  he  no  doubt  sought,  probably  correctly  so, 
the  causes  of  the  inglorious  defeat  in  the  conservative  character  of  all 
Chinese  institutions.  A  niimber  of  men  accessible  to  modern  ideas, 
headed  by  Chang- Yu- Wei,  had  won  the  favor  of  the  emperor.  Kuang- 
Su  was  seized  with  an  attack  of  reform  fever,  and  there  was  scarcely 
a  day  without  an  imperial  edict  against  antiquated  customs.  The 
army  should  be  reorganized,  the  civil  administration  simplified,  and 
the  tens  of  thousands  of  spoils  politicians  were  to  be  driven  from  office. 

The  intention  was  good,  but  the  manner  of  execution  was  at  least 
debatable.  Even  the  uninitiated  could  see  that  such  a  measure  must 
drive  the  entire  horde  of  thievish  mandarins  into  the  camp  of  the  em- 
press dowager.  Tsou-Hsi  smiled.  But  she  is  shrewd  and  she  could 
afford  to  wait  for  a  suitable  occasion.  It  came  when  Kuang-Su  one  fine 
day  appeared  at  the  court  of  his  aunt  in  occidental  dress,  a  horror  and 
a  sacrilege  to  the  Chinese.    This  innovation,  Tsou-Hsi  calculated,  must 


&REAT  MM  M  MODERN  CHINA.  333 

have  its  effect  upon  the  masses.    She  first  began  to  abuse  her  nephew 
and  then  struck  him  boldly  in  the  face. 

The  crowned  weakling  was  completely  broken  up  by  this  insult. 
He  wanted  to  resign,  and  when  the  energetic  Tsou-Hsi  frustrated  all 
efforts  of  the  emperor's  friends  to  restore  him  to  power  he  consented 
without  opposition  to  be  deprived  of  all  power.  In  his  parting  edict 
he  transferred  all  the  powers  of  regency  to  his  dear  aunt.  Of  the  em- 
peror's life  since  then  only  the  vaguest  rumors  are  known.  So  far  as 
the  world's  politics  is  concerned  he  is  dead,  and  the  fate  of  400,000,000 
of  yellow  people  is  dictated  by  Tsou-Hsi,  the  daughter  of  the  provincial 
merchant! 

Of  the  inner  life  of  China  the  world  knows  very  little.  The  oldest 
civilization  on  earth,  it  is  also  the  most  secret,  and  its  "home  life" 
stories  are  largely  legendary,  for  foreigners  seldom  penetrate  the  veil 
of  conservatism  that  enshrouds  the  family  of  the  almond-eyed  Orien- 
tals. Very  few  Chinese  hearthstones  have  been  set  up  in  the  United 
States.  The  Chinese  women  who  come  to  this  country  are  most  often 
slaves,  stolen  in  youth.  The  few  Chinese  homes  here  are  not  typical 
of  those  in  the  Flowery  kingdom,  for  the  true  Celestial  simply  camps 
when  away  from  China.  He  has  but  one  ambition,  one  hope — to  be 
gathered  to  his  ancestors  under  the  shadow  of  the  Chinese  dragon,  and, 
if  he  establishes  a  home  under  alien  skies,  he  ruins  his  prospects  for 
future  happiness. 

The  nearest  to  a  typical  high-caste  home  to  be  found  in  the  United 
States  is  the  Chinese  legation  in  Washington,  where  Madame  Wu  Ting 
Fang,  wife  of  the  Chinese  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary to  the  United  States,  presides  over  a  very  much  American- 
ized Oriental  home.  To  all  intents  and  purposes,  the  Chinese  legation 
is  Chinese  soil,  under  the  Chinese  flag,  which  always  floats  over  it,  and 
a  Chinaman  does  not  make  himself  an  alien  by  taking  up  his  residence 
there.  This  is  true  of  all  the  legation  homes  in  Washington  and  the 
President  never  visits  them  because  it  would  be  a  technical  foray  into 
foreign  territory,  and  this  the  unwritten  law  of  the  land  forbids. 

The  Chinese  Minister  and  his  wife  are  charming  people  to  meet.  The 
Minister  is  a  man  of  finished  education,  high  culture,  a  wide  reader,  a 
thinker,  and  a  philosopher.  His  English  is  perfect,  and  his  ways  and 
manners  are  those  of  a  finished  diplomat.  His  little  wife,  who  weighs 
less  than  100  pounds,  is  a  slender,  olive-skinned,  girlish  creature,  look- 


334  GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA. 

ing  for  all  the  world  like  an  animated  doll,  as  she  topples  around  on 
her  small  feet.  She  is  always  robed  in  the  richest  of  Oriental  stuffs, 
and  she  wears  jewels  worth  a  fortune.  She  is  of  Canton,  and  her  feet, 
of  course,  have  been  bound.  She  wears  queer  shoes  with  soles  two 
inches  thick  and  a  tiny  heel  in  the  middle,  and  might  as  well  be  on 
stilts,  for  all  the  grace  of  movement  she  has. 

Minister  and  Madame  Wu  are  the  most  democratic  of  all  the  people 
who  have  ever  been  in  the  legations  in  Washington.  Little  madame 
likes  to  mingle  with  the  crowd  at  the  state  receptions,  and  escapes  from 
the  "crush  behind  the  line^'  just  as  soon  as  possible,  going  into  the 
great  east  room,  where,  in  shy,  girlish  fashion,  she  greets  all  who  speak 
to  her  with  a  smile  and  a  handshake.  She  has  a  tiny  hand,  as  char- 
acterless as  a  child's,  and  loaded  with  priceless  rings.  Madame  Wu 
speaks  just  a  little  English,  but  is  well  educated  in  her  own  language, 
having  had  a  governess  and  several  tutors.  She  was  born  in  Canton, 
and  in  the  house  where  she  was  born  and  reared  she  was  married  to 
Mr.  Wu,  who  is  as  devoted  to  her  as  though  he  had  courted  her  for 
ages,  instead  of  never  having  looked  upon  her  face  until  she  was  his 
wife.  When  she  left  Canton  for  the  first  time,  she  came  to  Washington 
as  the  Minister's  wife. 

Madame  likes  Washington.  She  comes  and  goes  as  she  pleases,  un- 
accompanied most  often,  takes  long  rides  in  the  trolley  cars,  although 
she  has  half  a  dozen  carriages,  and  she  likes  to  have  the  front  seat  be- 
side the  motorman.  She  and  the  Minister  have  pleasant  times  going 
to  the  suburban  resorts.  She  loves  the  parks,  and  the  legation  being 
near  Dupont  circle  she  spends  much  of  her  daylight  time  there,  playing 
with  the  babies  that  tumble  on  the  grass.    She  has  one  son. 

Outside  the  Chinese  legation  is  a  big  pile  of  highly  ornate  gray  stone 
and  white  marble.  Inside  there  is  a  peculiar  mixing  of  Orient  and  Oc- 
cident. The  newer  purchases  of  velvet  carpets  and  stiff-backed  chairs, 
the  imitation  mahogany  wood- work  and  the  badly  matched  hard  wood 
floors  look  so  transparently  bargain-storish  beside  the  teakwood  cab- 
inets, the  rare  Nankin  porcelains,  the  rich  damask  draperies,  and  costly 
ivory  carvings  of  that  ancient  civilization. 

The  Minister  and  his  wife  entertain  magnificently  in  cultured  Amer- 
ican style,  but  of  the  inner  life  at  the  legation  no  American  knows  a 
bit  more  than  if  the  Wu  family  were  in  the  walled  city  of  Peking. 
Madame  Wu  has  no  woman  of  her  country  about  her.     She  has  an 


GREAT  MEN  IN  MODERN  CHINA.  335 

American  woman  as  a  companion,  but  when  she  sees  her  it  is  in  the 
American  part  of  the  house. 

Into  the  privacy  of  the  inner  residence  no  Christian  has  ever  pene- 
trated, yet  Madame  says  smilingly  that  she  likes  the  life  here,  and 
likes  "being  an  American  woman."  Minister  Wu  says  that  in  America 
his  wife  shall  do  exactly  as  she  pleases,  but  in  China — well  that  is 
different.  In  China,  she  is  a  Chinese  woman  and  that  means  a  nonen- 
tity.  Minister  Wu  openly  reviles  the  corset  and  says  that  women  who 
wear  them  cannot  bear  noble  sons,  and  he  considers  decollete  dress 
indecent.  Even  little  madame's  hands  are  veiled  in  her  big  sleeves 
and  rare  laces. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
BEGINNING   OF  THE   "BOXER"   OUTBREAK. 

First  Rumors  of  Outrages  Perpetrated  by  the  Society  of  the  Righteous  Fist— Two  Points 
of  View  of  the  Boxers— The  World  Takes  Alarm— Secret  Societies  in  China  and  Their 
Work— Specimens  of  Boxer  Proclamations— The  Ministers  in  Peril— Marine  Guard 
Arrires- The  Dowager  Empress— Prince  Tuan  in  Power. 

rOR  almost  a  year  before  the  recent  developments  in  China, 
Christendom  had  been  shocked  with  stories  of  outrages  upon 
missionaries  perpetrated  by  the  "Boxers,"  or  "Society  of  the 
Righteous  Fist."  Early  last  spring  these  stories  increased 
in  number,  and  in  April  and  May  hardly  a  day  passed  without  rumors 
from  China  of  repeated  atrocities.  The  "Boxer"  movement  spread 
rapidly  until  the  powers  were  aroused  by  the  beginning  of  wholesale 
slaughter  of  Christians,  native  and  foreign,  and  the  destruction  of 
churches  and  missions  of  all  denominations. 

Not  until  the  movement  had  become  so  strong  that  the  Chinese 
government  proved  quite  inadequate  to  restrain  or  suppress  it  did  the 
Western  Powers  realize  its  character  and  extent.  When  they  did  once 
realize,  it  was  too  liate  to  take  sufficient  steps  for  the  protection  of 
foreign  lives  and  interests  in  China. 

Undoubtedly  the  "Boxers"  must  be  looked  at  from  two  points  of 
view — the  Chinese  and  the  foreign.  To  foreigners  they  are  an  organ 
ization  of  thugs,  banded  for  evil  purposes — the  expulsion  of  all  for- 
eigners and  the  destruction  of  every  semblance  of  Western  civilization 
— which  they  attempt  to  execute  by  the  most  shockingly  cruel  methods, 
killing  and  torturing  men,  women  and  children  indiscriminately,  sparing 
neither  age  nor  sex,  and  violating  every  sentiment  of  decency,  bravery, 
chivalry,  kindness  and  intelligence.  From  their  own  point  of  view  and 
that  of  the  Chinese  who  may  be  in  sympathy  with  them,  they  are  the 
genuine  patriots  of  China,  the  revolutionary  fathers  if  you  will,  banded 
together  like  minute-men  to  protect  their  country  from  the  raids  of 
Invaders  who  seemed  bent  upon  destroying  its  independence,  its  iden- 
tity and  its  integrity.    They  considered  themselves  the  embodiment  of 

336 


BEGINNING  OF  TEE  "BOXER"  OUTBREAK.  337 

the  sentiment,  "China  for  the  Chinese,"  and  were  willing  to  fight  and 
die  for  their  country,  asking  no  quarter  and  giving  none. 

Although  repeatedly  warned  during  the  whole  of  the  winter  of  1899 
and  the  spring  of  1900  by  their  respective  representatives  at  Peking  of 
the  undoubted  danger  which  threatened  European  interests  in  China, 
and  also  Europeans  themselves,  if  the  Boxer  movement  were  allowed 
to  go  unchecked,  the  governments  of  the  great  powers  did  not  realize 
the  seriousness  of  the  situation,  with  the  exception  of  the  authorities 
of  our  own  country.  And  it  was  not  until  May  that  the  awakening  of 
this  government  came.  On  the  25th  of  that  month  instructions  were 
sent  to  Minister  Conger  at  Peking  bidding  him  inform  the  Chinese 
government  to  provide  proper  guarantees  for  the  maintenance  of  peace 
and  order,  and  for  the  protection  of  the  lives  and  property  of  Ameri- 
cans. The  danger  then  was  impending  and  it  was  too  late  to  avert  the 
catastrophe. 

Though  pugilism  and  wrestling  are  to  some  extent  practiced,  "box- 
ing" is  entirely  unknown  in  China.  It  is,  therefore,  a  misnomer  to  call 
them  "Boxers."  The  word  employed  by  themselves,  "ch'tin,"  means  lit- 
erally "the  fist,"  and  the  phrase,  "ta  ch'tien  t'ou,"  means  to  practice 
pugilism.  But  the  exercises  they  engage  in,  now  notorious  to  residents 
in  China,  and  which  have  been  named  "Boxer  drill,"  bear  little  or  no 
resemblance  either  to  pugilism  or  to  boxing.  They  consist  of  the  repe- 
tition of  words  supposed  to  act  as  charms,  and  violent  contortions  of 
the  body,  which  appear  to  induce  a  state  of  trance,  during  which  the 
subject  is  supposed  to  deliver  to  the  bystanders  occult  messages  respect- 
ing the  progress  of  the  movement.  On  resuming  his  normal  state  he 
is  said  to  be  quite  unconscious  of  anything  he  did  or  said  during  his 
peculiar  ecstasy. 

The  society  aims  at  nothing  less  than  the  expulsion  of  all  foreigners 
and  all  things  foreign  from  China,  and  the  restoration  of  the  empire  to 
its  former  position  of  exclusion  and  self-sufficiency.  Its  animus  is 
jjeculiarly  strong  against  foreign  religions,  not  only  because  the  mission- 
ary pervades  the  whole  interior  of  the  country  or  because  his  converts 
are  now  for  the  first  time  becoming  a  body  respectable  by  its  numbers 
and  thoroughly  imbued  with  an  earnest  desire  for  foreign  intercourse 
and  innovation,  but  also  because  its  leaders  by  a  true  instinct  are  able  to 
divine  that  religion  is  the  great  transforming  force  which,  once  per- 
mitted to  permeate  the  very  springs  and  secret  spiritual  forces  of  the 


338  BEGINNING  OF  THE  '"BOXER"  OUTBREAK. 

nation's  life,  will  "make  all  things  new."  This  animus  again  reaches  its 
most  extreme  point  of  intensity  in  its  opposition  to  the  Koman  Catholic 
missions,  these  being  the  longest  established  and  the  most  numerous, 
and  having  done  more  to  protect  and  assist  their  converts  in  cases  of 
litigation  than  the  Protestant  missions. 

But  these  distinctions  are  trivial.  In  the  significant  phrase  often 
employed  in  their  literature,  they  propose  to  "make  a  clean  sweep" — 
everything  foreign  is  to  be  driven  off,  merchant  business  houses,  ma- 
chine shops,  railways,  telegraphs,  guns,  rifles, — everything.  The  society 
has  been  spoken  of  as  patriotic,  and  it  is  for  this  reason,  so  it  is  said, 
that  it  was  protected  by  the  Empress  Dowager,  This,  however,  does 
not  hinder  it  from  assailing  the  Government  as  it  stands,  and  the  Em- 
peror himself  with  all  the  highest  officials  in  the  Empire  are  fiercely  as- 
sailed in  its  publications.  Its  manifesto  seems  rather  against  individ- 
uals than  against  the  dynasty  itself.  Its  aim  differs  from  that  of  former 
rebellions  and  all  other  secret  societies  previously  known.  It  is  favored 
by  the  Manchus,  and  a  prince  of  the  blood,  the  now  notorious  Prince 
Tuan,  has  been  the  leading  member  of  its  secret  conclave. 

Altogether  the  most  singular  feature  of  this  strange  movement  is 
the  peculiar  relation  to  it  of  young  children.  In  every  district  and  in 
every  town  it  has  visited  it  has  commenced  its  work  among  young 
people  ranging  between  the  ages  of  ten  and  twenty.  The  "drill"  is  al- 
ways commenced  by  them.  Until  actual  rioting  commenced  grown 
men  were  never  heard  of  as  appearing  in  the  movement.  This  has 
been  the  principal  reason  why  it  has  been  treated  lightly  by  foreign 
observers  and  perhaps  has  had  something  to  do  with  the  inactivity  of 
the  Chinese  officials  in  dealing  with  it.  Mandarins  would  not  arrest, 
and  foreigners  could  not  take  seriously  the  doings  of  very  young  boys 
and  even  girls  until  the  sudden  outburst  of  murderous  and  incendiary 
attacks  proved  that  after  all  it  was  no  mere  child's  play.  Of  course  when 
the  rebels  actually  appeared  in  arms  it  was  men  and  not  children  who  did 
the  destructive  work;  but  until  that  stage  was  reached  it  appeared  for 
the  most  part  an  affair  of  children.  It  is  not  simply  the  case  that  chil- 
dren are  aping  in  public  the  secret  doings  of  their  elders.  They  are  an  es- 
sential factor  in  the  growth  of  the  society  in  every  place  where  it  makes 
its  appearance.  It  is  they  who  most  readily  induce  the  strange  trance 
characteristic  of  the  "drill."    To  them  the  mystic  messages  of  the  im- 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  "BOXER"  OUTBREAK.  339 

pending  advent  of  their  leaders  are  given.  They  are  its  plastic  and 
docile  mediums. 

Their  supposed  possession  of  supernatural  powers  seems  to  be  some» 
how  connected  with  the  marriage  ceremony.  In  the  placards  are  mys- 
terious allusions  to  the  "Light  of  the  Red  Lamp,"  and  the  members  in 
addition  to  wearing  red  turbans  and  red  girdles,  are  said  to  carry  red 
lamps.  There  is,  however,  a  deeper  meaning  than  this  attached  to  the 
phrase  "hung  t^ng  chao."  The  "hung  teng"  is  an  invariable  adjunct  of 
the  bridal  chamber;  "chao"  means  to  light,  to  illuminate,  to  reveal. 
Early  marriage  is  practiced  in  China,  and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  the 
marriage  age  exactly  tallies  with  that  of  the  great  majority  of  the  youths 
engaged  in  these  singular  exercises.  It  is  certain  that,  in  addition  to 
much  other  mythologj^,  the  movement  involves  the  idea  of  a  revelation, 
and  there  is  ground  for  supposing  that  the  revelation  is  somehowi  or 
other  connected  with  the  institution  of  marriage,  and  the  "hung  teng 
chao"  may  be  translated  "revelation  of  the  bridal  chamber." 

The  society's  method  of  procedure  as  it  appears  to  the  outside  ob- 
servers is  as  follows:  In  any  particular  place  which  has  been  so  far 
undisturbed  by  their  operations  the  rumors  become  more  persistent  and 
more  wonderful  as  to  the  society's  doings  in  other  districts,  placards 
begin  to  appear,  sometimes  mysteriously  pasted  on  the  walls  of  build- 
ings by  night,  sometimes  handed  to  individuals  in  a  crowded  market. 
A  general  state  of  mingled  excitement,  fear,  and  expectation  is  created, 
and  especially  the  idea  of  the  advent  of  invincible  swordsmen  armed 
with  supernatural  power,  and  accompanied  with  teachers  and  leaders, 
is  instilled  into  the  mind  of  a  populace  superstitious  in  the  extreme 
and  a  large  portion  of  whom  are  ripe  for  any  mischief  and  supremely 
covetous  of  loot.  Then  children  varying  in  age  from  ten  to  twenty 
are  seen  in  vacant  spaces  and  on  the  corners  of  the  streets  "drilling." 
In  addition  to  the  revelations  considered  to  be  connected  with  these  ex- 
ercises they  are  supposed  to  render  those  who  engage  in  them  invul- 
nerable alike  to  sword  thrusts  and  to  rifle  bullets.  Gradually  their 
numbers  increase,  older  people  take  part,  and  then  for  the  first  time 
definite  organization  is  proposed.  Leaders  are  appointed,  adherents 
are  formed  into  what  are  called  lu — hearths.  These  hearths  are  equiva- 
lent to  camps.  They  number  500  each;  and  every  member  is  sworn  to 
obey  the  leaders,  to  sleep  and  take  food  with  the  rest,  and  to  have  the 
grain  and  meal  necessary  for  his  support  sent  from  home.    The  next 


340  BEGINNING  OF  THE  ''BOXER"  OUTBREAK. 

step  is  to  commence  work  by  firing  some  foreign  house,  railway  sta- 
tion, mission  chapel,  or  other  obnoxious  building,  putting  to  the  sword 
all  native  Christians  they  can  find  and  any  hapless  "foreign  devil"  who 
may  fall  into  their  hands.  In  the  performance  of  this  part  of  the  pro- 
gramme it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  the  rebels  from  the  populace. 
Swarming  in  thousands,  they  murder,  destroy,  and  loot  till  there  is  little 
left  behind. 

And  who  directs  this  vast  organization?  Though  very  little  infor- 
mation of  a  conclusive  character  is  to  be  had,  and  there  is  therefore  no 
absolute  proof  of  its  existence,  everything  points  to  the  supposition  that 
there  is  a  very  powerful  Inner  Council  or  Conclave  which,  working  in 
profound  secrecy,  matures  the  plans  by  which  the  society  works.  It 
has  been  hatched  in  Buddhist  monasteries  and  the  purlieus  of  the 
yamens.  Priests  or  monks  of  the  Buddhist  faith  are  among  the  leaders. 
Prince  Tuan,  who  seized  the  Government  during  the  last  days  of  June, 
was  said  to  be  the  High  Priest  of  the  Secret  Council;  Tung  Fu-sliiang, 
a  much-trusted  Chinese  general,  and  even  the  Empress  Dowager  her- 
self were  boldly  mentioned  as  members  of  it.  This  council  concocts  the 
mysterious  placards,  sends  forerunners  who  work  up  the  bands  in 
various  districts,  and  has  men  in  it  of  sufficient  influence  to  bring  over 
to  its  side  the  gentry  of  each  district  and,  above  all,  to  silence  the 
officials. 

Secrecy  is  the  watchword  of  the  Chinaman.  There  is  perhaps  not  a 
grown  Chinaman  in  the  world  who  does  not  belong  to  at  least  one 
secret  society  and  most  of  them  are  members  of  several  "hui,"  which 
is  the  general  name  they  give  to  such  organizations.  Wherever  the 
Chinese  go,  they  carry  with  them  the  practice  of  using  deft  signals 
whereby  they  may  silently  communicate  with  each  other. 

But  all  secrets  will  come  out  eventually,  even  though  they  be  those 
of  the  closest-mouthed  people  on  earth.  Thus  it  happens  that  a  few 
of  the  more  important  ones  used  by  the  Boxers  have  become  known 
outside  of  the  societies  using  them.  For  instance,  there  is  a  way  for 
a  Chinaman  to  let  a  stranger  know  that  he  is  a  member  and  at  the 
same  time  indicate  his  rank  in  the  society,  all  done  in  an  instant  by  a 
simple  arrangement  of  his  fingers.  "Have  you  had  your  hand  pricked?"' 
is  the  question  which  brings  forth  this  finger  sign.  Pricking  the  sec- 
ond finger  of  the  left  hand  with  a  sharp  instrument  is  chief  among  the 
forms  of  initiation. 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  "BOXER"  OUTBREAK.  341 

When  this  question  is  put  to  him  by  a  fellow  countryman  the  mem- 
ber replies  "Yes,"  and  at  the  same  time  he  holds  out  his  left  hand  with 
the  nail  of  the  thumb  pressed  against  the  second  finger  at  the  spot 
where  he  received  his  initiation  prick.  The  forefinger  is  held  level  with 
the  thumb,  while  the  other  fingers  are  bent  against  the  palm  of  the 
hand.  The  nearer  to  the  palm  the  prick  happens  to  be  the  higher  the 
rank  of  the  member.  If  the  prick  is  on  the  palm  itself  it  indicates 
that  the  member  is  of  the  very  highest  rank. 

In  order  to  indicate  unmistakably  his  identity  during  troublous 
times  like  the  present  in  China  the  members  resort  to  signs  more 
readily  noticed  when  going  out  into  the  streets.  One  sign  of  member- 
ship is  to  rolLup  the  right  trousers  leg  or  the  right  sleeve  of  his  jacket, 
or,  if  he'  gets  into  a  crowd  where  these  signs  might  not  be  noticed,  he 
may  indicate  the  same  thing  by  holding  his  right  hand  over  his  head 
with  three  of  the  fingers  spread  out.  Still  another  way  is  to  let  the 
corner  of  his  jacket  hang  carelessly  down  inside  at  the  neck  by  unbut- 
toning the  top  button. 

TJie  Chinaman's  queue,  which  he  makes  use  of  in  a  thousand  and 
one  ways  in  daily  life,  comes  in  handy  for  making  his  secret-society 
signals.  If  a  Boxer  should  be  in  distress  and  wanted  to  call  upon  his 
brothers  in  the  band  for  assistance,  he  could  get  it  by  "talking  through 
his  queue,"  so  to  speak.  When  he  signals  them  for  help  he  wears  his 
queue  hanging  in  a  loop  over  his  right  shoulder,  the  end  brought  around 
the  neck  and  tied  in  two  loose  slipknots  to  the  loop. 

Heaven,  "tien;"  earth,  "ti,"  and  man,  "jin,"  are  words  frequently 
used  by  the  secret  organization,  and  there  is  a  "pigtail"  sign  for  each. 
"Tien"  is  indicated  by  twisting  the  queue  once  around  the  head,  cross- 
ing it  in  front  and  letting  it  hang  in  a  loop  on  the  left  side.  When  he 
wants  to  represent  "ti"  the  member  twists  his  queue  twice  around  his 
head,  crossing  on  both  sides  and  looping  upward  on  the  left  side.  The 
sign  for  "jin"  is  the  same  as  for  "ti,"  only  the  queue  is  looped  downward 
instead  of  upward  on  the  left  side. 

One  signal  for  assistance  in  a  fight  is  to  hold  the  right  hand  with 
the  palm  downward,  at  the  same  time  putting  the  left  hand  on  the 
breast,  the  thumb  and  forefinger  bent  and  the  others  shut. 

When  it  is  desired  to  stop  members  from  fighting,  the  left  hand  is 
kept  in  the  same  position  and  the  palm  of  the  right  hand  is  turned 
inward. 


342  BEGINNING  OF  THE  ''BOXER"  OUTBREAK, 

There  are  al&o  hand  signs  for  "heaven,"  "earth"  and  "man."  The 
sign  for  "heaven"  is  made  by  holding  the  right  hand  out  with  the  thumb 
and  forefinger  bent,  the  remaining  three  fingers  straight  and  the  cor- 
responding three  fingers  of  the  left  hand  on  the  chest.  For  "earth" 
the  right  hand  is  held  out,  with  the  thumb,  first  and  second  fingers 
straight,  the  other  fingers  bent  and  the  left  thumb  and  two  fingers  open 
on  the  breast. 

In  giving  the  sign  for  "man"  the  right  hand  is  held  out,  with  the 
thumb  and  little  finger  straight,  the  other  fingers  bent  and  the  left  hand 
on  the  breast.  This  sign  may  also  stand  for  "the  dragon's  head  and 
Phoenix  tail."  These  three  signs  formed  in  rapid  succession  mean 
"I  am  of  the  Heaven  and  Earth  Society,"  in  other  words,  a  Triad. 

All  Chinamen  are  ultra-superstitious.  The  Triads  at  present,  on 
account  of  the  trouble  in  China,  have  nailed  strips  of  red  cloth  over  their 
doorways  to  keep  evil  spirits  away.  They  also  have  green  bamboo 
sticks  in  each  corner  of  the  living  rooms  of  their  houses  as  a  protection 
against  violence. 

Another  interesting  and  complicated  system  is  signaling  with  tea 
cups  and  saucers  and  rice  bowls  during  meals.  The  dishes  placed  in  a 
great  variety  of  positions  upon  tables  mean  a  lot  of  things. 

The  last  issue  of  the  Peking  and  Tien-Tsin  Times,  which  was  printed 
May  5,  contains  translations  of  placards  posted  by  the  Boxers,  which 
give  an  idea  of  their  sentiments.  The  translations  are  made  by  edu- 
cated Chinese,  and  while  the  English  is  in  many  instances  crude  the 
sentiment  of  the  placards  is  preserved.    Two  of  them  are  as  follows: 

The  Gods  assist  the  Boxers, 

The  Patriotic  Harmonious  corps. 

It  is  because  the  "Foreign  Devils"  disturb  the  "Middle  Kingdom." 

Urging  the  people  to  join  their  religion, 

To  turn  their  backs  on  Heaven, 

Venerate  not  the  Gods  and  forget  the  ancestors. 

Men  violate  the  human  obligations. 

Women  commit  adultery, 

"Foreign  Devils"  are  not  produced  by  mankind, 

If  you  do  not  believe, 

Look  at  them  carefully. 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  '"BOXER"  OUTBREAK.  343 

The  eyes  of  all  the  "Foreign  Devils"  are  bluish, 

No  rain  falls, 

The  earth  is  getting  dry, 

This  is  because  the  churches  stop  Heaven, 

The  Gods  are  angry; 

The  Genii  are  vexed; 

Both  come  down  from  the  mountain  to  deliver  the  doctrine. 

This  is  no  hearsay 

The  practices  of  boxing  will  not  be  in  vain; 

Reciting  incantations  and  pronouncing  magic  words, 

Burn  up  yellow  written  prayers, 

Light  incense  sticks. 

To  invite  the  Gods  and  Genii  of  all  the  grottoes. 

The  Gods  come  out  from  grottoes. 
The  Genii  come  down  from  mountains, 
Support  the  human  bodies  to  practice  the  boxing. 

When  all  the  military  accomplishments  or  tactics 

Are  fully  learned. 

It  will  not  be  difficult  to  exterminate  the  "Foreign  Devils"  then. 

Push  aside  the  railway  tracks, 

Pull  out  the  telegraph  poles. 

Immediately  after  this  destroy  the  steamers. 

The  great  France 

Will  grow  cold  in  her  heart  and  downhearted. 
The  English  and  Russians  will  certainly  disperse. 
Let  the  various  "Foreign  Devils"  all  be  killed. 

May  the  whole  Elegant  Empire  of  the  Great  Ching  Dynasty  be  ever 
prosperous! 

Another  placard  reads: 

The  relatives  and  friends  of  all  round  notice  recently  that  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic  religions  poison  the  wells 
with  poisonous  powder,  that  whoever  drinks  the  water  will  have  their 
lungs  and  intestines  rotten  in  eighteen  days.  Two  men  have  been  ar- 


344  BEGINNING  OF  THE  "BOXER"  OUTBREAK. 

rested  by  us  at  Ling  Chi-chuang  and  we  found  out  they  have  poison  all 
over  their  bodies.  They  are  silent  when  they  are  questioned  and  bold 
when  tortured.  Who  ever  smells  the  poison  will  die  immediately;  you 
must  be  very  cautious  in  drinking  the  water.  Those  who  have  seen  this 
notice  must  make  it  known;  it  will  avoid  the  calamity  of  the  people.  It 
must  by  all  means  be  done. 

Here  is  a  specimen  of  the  society's  placards,  found  posted  up  in  the 
district  of  Paotingfu.  It  is  minatory  in  character  and  might  be  called 
"The  Ten  Plagues."  Its  style  seems  peculiarly  calculated  to  fascinate 
and  excite  the  public  mind.  The  placard,  judging  by  the  style  of  com- 
position, is  probably  a  Buddhist  production: 

"In  the  presence  of  the  revered  mother  the  goddess  of  mercy. 
"This  year  being  one  of  rapine  and  swordsmen  being  peculiarly  evil, 
the  myriad-fold  holy  one  has  descended  to  earth  and  the  good  and  the 
evil  are  to  receive  speedy  retribution.  Since  the  multitude  have  ceased 
to  believe  in  Buddha  and  are  unfilial  toward  their  parents,  high  heaven 
is  dispatching  in  its  anger  a  million  spiritual  soldiers  to  reward  the 
good  and  punish  the  evil.  By  burning  incense  night  and  day  and  prac- 
ticing filial  piety  an  entire  family  may  escape  the  bitterness  of  the 
sword.  But  whatever  family  may  set  their  hearts  to  revile  the  gods 
and  to  neglect  filial  behavior  towards  father  and  mother  that  family 
will  be  cut  off  and  will  fall  into  perdition.  Should  the  people  continue 
in  unbelief,  there  will  follow  hereafter  ten  unescapable  sorrows. 

"First  Sorrow. 
"Incense  burning  will  cease  throughout  the  Empire. 

"Second  Sorrow. 
"Blood  will  flow  and  fill  the  streams  of  all  the  hills. 

"Third  Sorrow. 
"Grain  and  meal  will  become  refuse. 

"Fourth  Sorrow. 
"All  the  living  will  be  involved  in  iniquity. 

"Fifth  Sorrow. 
"The  roads  will  be  without  passengers. 

"Sixth  Sorrow. 
"Orphans  and  widows  will  speak  of  their  native  place. 

"Seventh  Sorrow. 
"There  will  be  none  to  protect  from  rapine. 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  "BOXER"'  OUTBREAK.  345 

"Eighth  Sorrow. 
"All  the  living  will  enter  the  Yellow  Springs. 

"Ninth  Sorrow. 
"Disease  and  distress  will  afflict  the  people. 

"Tenth  Sorrow. 
"There  will  be  no  peaceful  years. 

"Issued  under  the  'Light  of  the  Red  Lamp^  at  Su  Chiko.  If  those  who 
see  this  paper  circulate  it  immediately  they  will  escape  the  suffering  of 
the  swords." 

The  barbarous  murder  of  Mr.  Brooks,  an  Anglican  missionary,  late 
in  December,  was  synchronous  with  the  continued  spoliation  of  the 
native  Christians,  Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant,  but  especially  the 
former,  the  burning  of  their  houses,  and  in  some  rare  instances  the 
killing  of  their  leaders.  Arson  was  not  very  prevalent  in  that  region 
at  that  time,  but  the  pillage  of  the  houses  of  converts  and  the  extortion 
of  heavy  cash  fines  were  matters  of  daily  occurrence.  The  oflflcial  reply 
to  all  these  acts  of  lawlessness  was  the  issue  of  more  proclamations, 
some  of  them  full  of  latent  encouragement  to  the  movement,  and  the 
posting  of  soldiers  at  various  points,  many  of  them  being  themselves 
members  of  the  Boxer  society.  Soldiers  and  Boxers  everywhere  fra- 
ternized on  terms  of  cordial  harmony,  and  in  no  case  could  the  pro- 
vincial troops  be  depended  upon  to  resist  the  growing  lawlessness,  or 
to  make  a  single  arrest. 

Foreseeing  the  coming  storm,  the  Roman  Catholics  had  fortified 
many  of  their  chapels,  cathedrals,  and  villages,  and  in  some  cases  suc- 
cessfully resisted  all  the  force  which  could  be  brought  against  them. 
In  a  brief  time  the  whole  region  between  Paoting-Fu  and  Peking,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  a  hundred  miles,  was  filled  with  Boxer  camps,  and 
furious  organized  attacks  upon  all  Christian  communities  at  once  be- 
gan. A  Roman  Catholic  congregation  were  burned  alive  in  their  place 
of  worship.  Christians  were  attacked  in  their  homes,  or  wherever  they 
could  be  found,  cut  down  at  sight,  and  their  bodies  thrown  into  wells 
and  streams.  There  were  supposed  to  be  30,000  Boxers  gathered  in 
and  about  the  single  city  of  Cho  Chou,  practicing  their  magic  rites  by 
day  and  by  night,  eating  the  farmers  of  the  district  into  poverty  and 
ruin,  capturing  the  magistrate  and  taking  possession  of  his  Yamen  and 
compelling  him  to  stamp  their  proclamations  and  orders  with  his  official 


346  BEGINNING  OF  THE  ''BOXER''  OUTBREAK. 

seal.  Many  out-stations  of  both  Catholic  and  Protestant  missions  suf- 
fered severely  at  this  time,  details  of  the  numerous  and  often  appalling 
occurrences  reaching  Peking  by  every  messenger. 

This  was  the  state  of  things  at  the  end  of  May.  Members  of  families 
of  the  British  and  the  American  legations  were  enjoying  themselves 
at  their  summer  places  in  the  Western  hills,  twelve  miles"  from  Peking, 
when  the  storm  broke,  and  they  were  recalled  in  hot  haste.  Then,  and 
for  more  than  six  weeks  afterward,  the  fatal  assumption  seemed  to 
have  chloroformed  the  entire  Peking  community  alike,  that  "Nothing 
can  happen  here  in  Peking."  A  series  of  terrible  catastrophes  was  re- 
quired to  dispel  this  inexplicable  delusion.  The  diplomatic  corps  held 
a  meeting  and  decided  to  telegraph  for  guards  to  come  from  the  war- 
ships already  assembled  at  Taku,  to  protect  the  legations — a  step 
which  should  have  been  taken  a  month  earlier.  The  Tsung-li-Yamen,  of 
course,  objected  to  the  insult  of  bringing  foreign  troops  to  the  Chinese 
capital  and  promised  ample  protection  with  Chinese  forces. 

The  ministers  refused  to  consider  the  question  of  the  guards  an  open 
one.  The  guards  must  come,  if  not  with  the  consent  of  the  Chinese 
government,  then  without  it.  The  Yamen  had  to  consult  Prince  Ching. 
Prince  Ching  had  an  audience  with  the  Empress  Dowager,  and  the  con- 
sent was  given  rather  than  risk  a  collision  with  the  world  combined. 
General  Tung  Fuhsiang,  a  man  of  mean  origin,  a  former  rebel  against 
the  government,  but  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  fierce  men  from  the 
distant  province  of  Kansu,  had  been  for  a  year  and  a  half  eager  to 
fight  foreigners,  being  certain  of  his  ability  to  drive  them  into  the  sea. 
On  the  present  occasion  he  felt  that  the  time  had  fully  arrived,  but  he 
was  overruled  and  his  troops  removed  from  the  city  to  prevent  a  col- 
lision with  the  foreign  guards.  Even  now  there  were  many  in  the 
various  legations  who  were  opposed  to  bringing  up  a  large  force,  since 
a  smaller  one  must  have  the  same  moral  effect,  with  less  irritation  to 
the  Chinese  government.  As  it  was  very  uncertain,  however,  how  the 
government  would  act,  there  was  good  reason  still  to  fear  that  the 
arrival  of  330  marines,  which  took  place  on  the  evening  of  May  31, 
would  be  a  signal  for  a  general  attack  upon  foreigners  and  indiscrim- 
inate pillage  and  massacre. 

The  American,  Eussian,  Japanese,  French  and  British  contingents 
marched  from  the  railway  station  outside  the  south  city,  the  railway 
having  been  temporarily  repaired,  to  their  legations  with  fixed  bayonets 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  ''BOXER"  OUTBREAK.  U1 

through  the  densest  crowds  which  some  of  them  had  ever  seen,  but 
the  Chinese  made  no  demonstration  of  any  kind.  The  following  day  the 
Germans  and  more  Russians  arrived,  the  Governor-General  at  Tien- 
Tsin  having  done  his  best  to  prevent  the  entraining  of  the  soldiers, 
yielding  only  when  assured  that  otherwise  they  would  seize  the  engines 
and  cars  and  go  without  his  permission.  The  preliminary. crisis  was 
past,  and  the  lives  of  the  foreigners  in  Peking  were  for  the  moment  once 
more  secure.  The  total  number  of  foreign  troops  actually  introduced, 
including  seven  Cossack  permanent  legation  guards,  was  only  450.  It 
should  not  have  been  less  than  1,000,  with  which  number  it  would  have 
been  possible  to  make  a  defense  with  some  prospect  of  success. 

A  meeting  of  Americans  had  been  called  at  the  Methodist  com- 
pound on  the  afternoon  of  June  8  to  deliberate  upon  the  proper  steps 
to  be  taken  in  the  present  crisis.  A  comparison  of  known  facts  showed 
that  the  steady  closing  in  of  the  net  surrounding  all  the  foreigners  in 
and  about  Peking,  which  rendered  the  abandonment  of  T'ung  Chou  im- 
perative, also  made  untenable  the  position  of  the  residents  in  Peking 
unless  within  the  radius  of  military  protection.  It  was  decided  that 
all  Americans  not  already  in  the  legation  should  remove  to  the  Meth- 
odist compound  at  once  for  mutual  defense;  that  the  Minister  should 
be  asked  for  a  guard  of  twenty  marines;  that  in  view  of  the  presence 
of  members  of  the  London  mission  and  many  of  their  converts,  the 
British  Minister  be  required  to  furnish  ten  marines;  and  that  a  strong 
telegram  be  sent  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  representing 
the  threatening  aspect  of  affairs.  The  following  message  was  accord- 
ingly dispatched  that  afternoon: 

"President  McKinley,  Washington:  Boxers  destroy  chapels,  mas- 
sacre hundreds  Christians,  threaten  exterminate  all  foreigners.  T'ung 
Chou  abandoned;  Paoting-Fu,  Tsun  Hua  extreme  danger.  Chinese 
troops  useless.  Attack  Peking.  Tientsin  daily  threatened.  Railways 
rlestroyed,  telegraphs  cut.  Chinese  government  paralyzed.  Imperial 
edicts  double-faced,  favor  Boxers.  Universal.  Unless  situation 
promptly  relieved  thirty  Americans  convened  regard  outlook  practi- 
cally hopeless." 

After  China's  overwhelming  defeat  by  the  Japanese — the  little  de- 
spised neighbor — Kuang  Hsu  endeavored  to  introduce  into  China  west- 
ern methods  of  war,  learning  and  administration.  He  gathered  around 
him  some  fifteen  progressive  men,  mostly  young  men.    Many  edicts  were 


348  BEGINNING  OF  THE  ''BOXER"  OUTBREAK. 

issued  giving  freedom  to  the  press,  encouraging  invention  and  study  of 
western  science  and  establishing  a  system  of  government  schools  in  all 
the  provinces,  with  a  grand  imperial  university  at  Peking.  Many  use- 
less offices  were  done  away  with.  It  seems  evident  also  that  it  was  the 
purpose  to  have  first  and  second  ranks  of  officers  and  to  conform  to  the 
customs  of  western  nations  in  the  matter  of  court  dress.  These  reforms, 
though  excellent  in  themselves,  were  very  sweeping  for  China,  espe- 
cially before  the  young  emperor  had  secured  the  confidence  of  his  people 
in  his  ability  and  wisdom. 

The  empress  dowager  did  not  look  with  favor  upon  much  that  was 
being  done  and  often  exerted  a  vetoing  influence  which  led  to  a  plan  to 
remove  her  to  a  place  of  easy  confinement.  This  might  be  done  with- 
out sacrificing  her  life,  or  if  necessary  at  the  expense  of  it.  This  plan 
became  known  to  the  empress,  and  she,  who  has  "a  genius  for  ruling," 
and  who  is  an  exceedingly  strong  character,  having  her  twenty  articles 
of  power  spoken  of  above,  and  backed  by  the  conservative  Manchu 
party,  came  from  her  quiet  among  the  hills  to  the  place  of  power.  She 
imprisoned  the  emperor,  beheaded  six  of  his  chief  advisers  and  scattered 
the  rest. 

This  coup  d'etat  and  a  return  of  the  old  conservative  methods  in 
Chinese  government  is  directly  traceable  to  the  young  emperor's  attach- 
ment to  the  reform  party  and  its  fearless  and  brilliant  leader  and  tire- 
less worker,  Kuang  Yu  Wai.  The  enlightened  Chinese,  almost  to  a 
man,  favored  the  young  emperor,  and  the  reformers  and  Kuang  the 
leader  and  Kuang  the  emperor  during  their  short  term  of  power  did 
more  for  China  and  the  common  people  than  any  other  men  of  the 
coming  generation. 

In  this  tragic  way  the  empress  came  again  to  the  throne.  Under 
these  conditions  she  very  naturally  would  feel  a  sympathy  for  the  con- 
servative or  anti-foreign  party,  for  by  them  she  rules.  About  two  years 
ago  the  man  Tting  Fu  Siang,  the  great  Mohammedan  and  anti-foreign 
general,  was  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Peking  with  about  12,000  well- 
armed  and  well-drilled  troops.  This  general  and  his  "braves"  were  even 
then  thirsting  for  the  blood  of  the  foreigners.  It  was  said  that  on  his 
knees  he  besought  the  empress  dowager  to  allow  him  the  privilege  of 
massacring  all  the  foreigners  in  and  about  Peking.  At  that  time  the 
different  legations  called  for  marine  guards,  but  these  were  not  suffi- 
cient, so  the  ministers  unitedly  demanded  the  removal  of  this  hostile 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  "BOXER"  OUTBREAK.  349 

force  from  the  vicinity  of  the  city.  The  empress  honored  the  general, 
gave  presents  to  his  men  and  quietly  removed  them.  The  trouble  was 
not  cured,  only  postponed;  the  men  were  not  disbanded,  only  scattered; 
and  their  foreign  hatred  increased  rather  than  lessened,  until  the  num- 
ber was  not  only  12,000,  but  scores  of  thousands. 

During  the  second  week  in  June  several  changes  were  made  in  the 
tsung-li-yamen,  or  foreign  office.  One  Chinese  was  retired  and  four 
Manchus,  supposed  to  be  rigidly  conservative,  were  appointed.  Prince 
Ching,  regarded  as  the  greatest  except  Li  Hung  Chang  of  all  living 
Chinamen,  the  only  member  with  a  knowledge  of  foreign  affairs,  was 
superseded  by  Prince  Tuan,  a  powerful  supporter  of  the  Boxers.  It  was 
thought  at  the  time  that  Prince  Tuan  was  a  creature  of  the  empress,  but 
he  has  proved  to  be  more  cunning  even  than  the  clever  dowager.  Prince 
Tuan  has  always  been  known  as  one  of  the  chief  patrons  of  the  Boxers 
and  a  representative  of  the  most  reactionary  party  in  China.  By  the 
appointment  of  Prince  Tuan  the  empress  sought  not  only  to  attach  the 
Boxers  to  herself,  but  at  the  same  time  by  that  to  openly  defy  all  the 
world. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 
FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

The  March  of  the  Allies  Under  Admiral  Seymonr— Good-Fellowship  PreTails— Fighting  All 
the  Way— The  American  Captain  McCalla  Lauds  the  British  Admiral  Seymour— Battle  ol 
the  Taku  Forts— Casualties  in  the  Fight— Story  of  the  Land  Battle — Americans  Nol 
in  the  Attack— Losses  of  the  Allied  Forces— Statement  of  Commander  Wise — Shell  Strikes 
the  Monocacy— Fighting  Around  Tientsin— Attacking  the  Walled  City— Colonel  Meade's 
Report— Fighting  Among  Corpses  for  Spoil. 

rHE  start  of  the  international  column  for  the  relief  of  the  for- 
eigners in  Peking  was  inaugurated  on  June  10.  Thecombined 
army  numbered  2,078  officers  and  men,  and  was  made  up  of 
eight  nationalities — British,  Russian,  German,  Austrian, 
Italian,  Japanese,  French,  and  American  marines  and  blue-jackets. 
These  forces  were  all  acting  with  nominal  independence,  but  were 
tacitly  under  command  of  Admiral  Seymour  of  the  British  navy,  and 
operated  as  one  body.  The  United  States  was  represented  by  112  men 
from  the  Newark,  under  Captain  B.  H.  McCalla.  This  officer's  account 
of  the  expedition  is  a  most  interesting  document,  and  describes  in  detail 
how  the  various  commands  co-operated — how  the  British  and  Russians 
in  turn  helped  to  shift  the  Newark's  three-inch  rifle  from  one  position 
to  another  when  the  American  crew  was  inadequate  to  transport  it; 
how  the  Americans  led  the  advance  up  the  railway  and  protected  the 
rear  in  the  retreat,  and  how,  during  the  repeated  attacks  of  the  Chinese 
on  the  Tientsin  arsenal,  British,  Russians,  and  Americans  in  turn  would 
spring  into  the  breach  to  defend  the  hard-pressed  outposts  of  some  other 
nationality  that  was  bearing  the  brunt  of  the  attack. 

The  allied  force  was  furnished  with  railroad  transportation  by  the 
Chinese  authorities  in  Tientsin,  although  it  was  thought  at  first  that  it 
might  be  necessary  to  seize  the  trains  required.  The  advance  was  made 
under  constantly  increasing  difficulties.  Whole  sections  of  track  were 
torn  up,  bridges  and  culverts  were  found  wrecked,  stations  burned,  and 
pumping  appliances  at  the  water  tanks  were  destroyed. 

The  first  attacks  on  the  column  were  by  parties  of  Boxers,  but  these 
soon  were  joined  by  regular  Chinese  troops,  and  the  little  column  had 

350 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  351 

to  fight  its  way  forward,  repairing  the  track  almost  rail  by  rail,  with 
flanking  parties  out  to  protect  the  construction  train,  while  other  de- 
tachments foraged  the  surrounding  country  for  supplies.  The  advance 
continued  up  to  the  19th,  and  was  met  by  two  messengers  at  different 
times  bearing  urgent  requests  from  the  besieged  legationers  for  relief. 

Captain  McCalla  and  his  marines  were  finally  put  in  charge  of  the 
construction  train  by  Admiral  Seymour's  direction,  and  the  work 
pushed  as  far  as  the  important  city  of  Yang  Tsun.  From  this  point  the 
railroad  was  so  badly  crippled  that  evidently  it  was  impracticable  to 
advance  further  by  train,  and  the  international  column  scoured  the 
countiy  for  horses  and  carts,  hoping  to  make  a  forced  march  to  Peking 
by  road. 

The  resistance  encountered  at  Lang  Fang  amounted  to  a  pitched 
battle,  and  resulted  in  the  killing  of  seven  and  wounding  of  forty  of  the 
allied  forces.  That  400  Chinese  were  killed  in  this  engagement  was  little 
consolation  to  the  allies,  since,  with  a  large  number  of  wounded  on  their 
hands  and  the  constantly  increasing  force  of  Chinese  in  both  front  and 
rear,  it  was  evidently  impossible  to  make  the  forced  march  as  contem- 
plated. 

The  news  from  the  direction  of  Tientsin  showed  that  the  railroad  had 
been  destroyed  in  their  rear,  and  after  a  meeting  of  the  commanders  it 
was  decided  that  a  retreat  must  be  made  by  way  of  the  river. 

Fortunately  at  this  point  a  German  force  from  the  column  captured 
four  large  junks,  while  Ensign  Wurtzbaugh  and  Cadet  Courtney,  with 
parties  of  the  Newark's  men,  gathered  in  four  large  sampans.  This 
little  flotilla  was  distributed  among  the  allied  forces  and  the  whole  col- 
umn embarked  on  the  19th  for  the  return  to  Tientsin. 

The  sailors  from  the  modern  warships  at  first  made  slow  work  of 
navigating  these  unwieldy  oriental  craft,  but  they  made  fair  progress. 
The  retreat  was  slow,  however.  Every  village  along  the  thickly  settled 
banks  was  a  vantage  point  from  which  the  Chinese  hotly  contested  the 
movement  of  the  column,  both  with  artillery  and  small  arms.  Flanking 
parties  had  to  be  thrown  out  on  each  side,  and  town  after  town  was 
cleared  by  the  impetuous  charges  of  Japanese,  Austrians,  and  Germans, 
while  the  American  field  gun,  the  British  nine-pounders,  and  the  Ger- 
man and  Russian  guns  shelled  out  the  Chinese  from  their  mud  redoubts 
and  kept  at  bay  the  squadrons  of  cavalry  that  hovered  on  the  flanks. 

The  strongest  opposition  was  met  at  Peitsang,  where  a  sharp  fight 


352  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

occurred.  The  casualties  of  the  Newark's  officers  and  men  in  this  fight 
were  one  killed  and  nine  wounded,  while  the  allies  also  lost  the  services 
of  Captain  Jellico,  Admiral  Seymour's  chief  of  staff,  who  was  severely 
wounded. 

The  resistance  to  the  party  increased  steadily  on  the  trip  down  the 
river,  until  they  came  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Chinese  arsenal,  where  the 
little  column  cleared  out  the  Chinese,  occupying  the  walled  inclosure, 
and  took  shelter  in  positions  that  the  Chinese  had  vacated. 

Here  the  American  gun  was  mounted  on  a  parapet  commanding  the 
road  leading  into  the  arsenal  and  an  all-day  fight  occurred.  Three  of 
the  Newark's  men  were  killed  and  thirteen  wounded,  while  the  per- 
centage of  loss  among  the  British  and  Germans  was  about  the  same. 
It  was  here  that  the  commander  of  the  Kaiserin  Augusta  was  killed 
while  directing  the  defense  from  the  western  rampart. 

During  this  fight  and  before  the  allies  were  able  to  get  their  wounded 
into  the  protection  of  the  arsenal  grounds,  the  junks  where  the  wounded 
were  still  lying  were  subjected  to  a  severe  fire  from  the  Chinese,  and 
three  of  the  British  wounded  were  killed. 

The  heavy  casualties  of  the  day  complicated  the  situation  consid- 
erably. The  column  had  over  200  wounded  to  transport  and  care  for, 
and  it  was  evidently  impossible  to  carry  these,  and  go  forward  by  the 
main  road  to  Tientsin,  for  after  deducting  the  number  of  killed  and 
wounded  and  the  men  who  would  be  needed  as  bearers,  the  effective 
force  of  the  column  would  have  been  less  than  1,000  men.  It  was 
decided,  therefore,  to  hold  out  in  the  arsenal  inclosure  until  relief  could 
be  summoned  from  Tientsin. 

Among  the  many  acts  of  conspicuous  gallantry  performed  that  day 
was  an  achievement  by  two  seamen,  one  from  the  Centurion,  the  other 
from  the  Aurora.  Shortly  after  the  enemy  opened  fire  in  the  morning 
from  the  arsenal  grounds,  one  of  the  junks,  in  which  were  British  and 
American  wounded,  drifted  across  the  river  and  grounded  on  the  Chi- 
nese side.  The  two  bluejackets  mentioned  jumped  overboard,  pushed 
the  junk  afloat,  and  towed  her  out  of  the  line  of  fire,  where  she  was 
anchored  safely  on  the  other  bank. 

An  attempt  was  made  at  midnight  of  the  22d  to  send  a  party  of  100 
British  marines  through  to  Tientsin  to  summon  relief.  They  met  heavy 
opposition  in  the  darkness,  and  were  forced  to  retire.  Therefore  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  make  a  firm  stand  in  the  arsenal  grounds. 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  353 

The  whole  wall  of  the  Inclosure  was  occupied,  and  the  German  cap- 
tain, Von  Usedom,  having  a  supply  of  high  explosives,  assisted  the 
Americans  in  blowing  up  the  trestle  work  roadway  leading  into  their 
section  of  the  arsenal  grounds  and  in  fortifying  the  American  position. 

The  supplies  in  the  arsenal  were  drawn  upon,  as  the  ammunition  of 
the  column  was  rapidly  becoming  exhausted,  and  the  defenders 
mounted  a  number  of  Chinese  Krupp  guns  on  the  walls  and  prepared  to 
withstand  an  extensive  siege.  The  arsenal  also  supplied  what  was 
equally  needed  in  the  line  of  surgical  instruments  and  appliances  for 
the  large  number  of  wounded. 

Communication  was  opened  with  Tientsin,  five  miles  distant,  by 
means  of  signal  rockets,  and  on  the  25th  the  relief  force,  consisting  of  a 
mixed  column  under  Lieut.-Col.  Schrinsky  of  the  Twelfth  East  Siberian 
regiment,  came  in  sight,  and  was  greeted  with  cheers  as  it  scattered  the 
masses  of  Chinese  who  were  continuing  the  attack  on  the  arsenal  in- 
closure. On  the  26th  the  march  back  to  Tientsin  began,  the  allies  hav- 
ing first  fired  the  Chinese  arsenal. 

The  total  losses  of  the  allied  forces  amounted  to  two  oflflcers  and 
fifty-five  men  killed,  and  twenty-three  officers  and  210  men  wounded. 
Although  the  primary  object  of  the  expedition  had  failed,  yet  in  the 
light  of  subsequent  events  the  force  under  Admiral  Seymour  had  done 
a  valuable  service  in  capturing  this  important  arsenal  and  its  store- 
houses filled  with  munitions  of  war. 

The  force  operating  against  Admiral  Seymour's  column  was  part 
of  the  command  of  General  Nieh,  one  of  the  commanders  of  imperial 
troops,  and  was  variously  estimated  at  from  10,000  to  20,000.  It  was 
estimated  by  Captain  McCalla  that  the  Boxers  and  imperial  troops  lost 
not  less  than  1,000  killed  between  the  12th  and  the  26th  of  June.  Cap- 
tain McCalla,  in  his  report,  says: 

"I  hesitate  somewhat  to  refer  to  the  senior  naval  officer's  admirable 
direction  of  the  naval  forces  acting  concurrently  for  the  relief  of  the 
several  legations  in  Peking,  both  while  trying  to  reach  the  capital  over 
a  railway  partially  destroyed,  and  during  the  far  more  difficult  and 
hazardous  operation  of  falling  back  from  Yang  Tsun  to  Tientsin,  incum- 
bered by  wounded  who  could  not  be  left  to  a  merciless  foe,  and  opposed 
by  infantry,  artillery,  and  cavalry  of  the  imperial  Chinese  army,  as- 
sisted by  Boxers,  who,  there  was  evidence  to  show,  had  recently  received 
arms  from  the  arsenals  of  China.    But  Vice- Admiral  Seymour's  knowl- 


354  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

edge  and  ability  are  so  eminent,  and  his  tact  and  consideration  so  great 
and  constant,  that  I  may  say  that  the  officers  and  men  of  the  eight 
nationalities  were  only  too  pleased  to  execute  his  wishes,  which  were 
accepted  in  reality  as  orders,  so  that  the  2,000  seamen  and  marines 
under  his  command,  or  associated  with  him,  became  a  harmonious  body 
actuated  by  but  one  purpose. 

"I  should  fail  altogether  in  my  duty  to  a  brother  seaman  did  I  not 
call  to  the  attention  of  the  government  the  honor  which  Admiral  Sey- 
mour conferred  upon  our  navy  by  not  hesitating  to  call  upon  the  officers 
from  the  Newark  to  assist  his  own  magnificent  body  of  bluejackets  and 
marines;  the  esteem  which  he  showed  for  our  country  by  assigning  me 
to  the  charge  of  the  first  train  and  afterward  of  the  construction  train; 
the  confidence  which  caused  him  to  place  officers  and  men  from  his  fleet 
under  my  personal  command,  and  his  great  kindness  in  permitting  his 
overworked  medical  officers  to  care  for  our  wounded,  who  were,  I  am 
mortified  to  state,  without  the  services  of  one  of  our  own  surgeons. 

"During  the  almost  continuous  engagements  with  the  enemy  Ad- 
miral Seymour  was  constantly  with  the  advance,  and  so  freely  exposed 
himself  that  both  his  own  officers  and  men  feared  lest  we  should  be 
deprived  of  his  conspicuous  skill  in  directing  our  movements. 

"It  would  be  a  source  of  unqualified  gratification  to  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  Newark  who  were  associated  with  Vice- Admiral  Seymour's 
command  if  our  own  government  would  offer  this  distinguished  officer 
some  appropriate  and  tangible  recognition  of  his  services  to  our  nation." 

In  the  meantime  the  battle  of  Taku  had  taken  place  and  the  forts  at 
that  place  had  been  captured  by  the  allies.  On  June  15  a  combined 
naval  and  military  council  was  convened  at  Taku  by  the  senior  naval 
officer,  Vice-Admiral  Hildebrand,  on  board  the  first-class  cruiser  Rossia 
of  the  Eussian  navy.  The  facts  which  they  had  to  consider  were  that 
insurgents  numbering  about  2,000  showed  a  disposition  to  attack  the 
Taku  forts,  to  destroy  the  railway  and  to  lay  torpedoes  in  the  Pei-Ho. 
In  view  of  these  dangers  it  was  resolved  that  steps  must  be  taken  to 
guard  the  railway  station  and  to  preserve  communication  with  Tientsin. 
In  carrying  out  this  resolution  the  allies  determined  to  adopt  a  defensive 
attitude,  and  to  refrain  from  assuming  the  offensive  unless  they  were 
attacked,  in  which  event  they  were  to  assault  the  forts  and  render  them 
incapable  of  doing  any  mischief.  It  was  further  decided  that  a  force 
of  300  Japanese  marines  should  be  landed  and  posted  at  Tongku  station, 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  35S 

with  orders  to  guard  it  until  relieved.  This  was  accordingly  done.  The 
ships,  all  small  craft,  lying  inside  the  bar  were:  Off  the  north  fort,  the 
British  gunboat  Algerine,  the  British  torpedo-boat  destroyers  Whiting 
and  Fame,  and  the  Russian  gunboats  Koreetz  and  Silatch;  at  Tongku, 
the  German  gunboat  litis,  the  French  gunboat  Lion,  the  Japanese 
gunboat  Atago  and  the  American  river  boat  Monocacy,  and  not  far  off 
was  the  Russian  gunboat  Bobr.  The  rest  of  the  fleet  were  some  miles 
away  outside  of  the  river,  their  deep  draught  preventing  them  from 
crossing  the  bar. 

On  the  16th  at  11  a.  m.  another  council  was  held  on  board  the 
Rossia.  The  facts  before  the  naval  commanders  were  that  although  the 
Chinese  government  had  raised  no  objection  to  the  foreign  powers  co- 
operating to  preserve  good  order  and  secure  life  and  property,  and  had 
undertaken  to  discharge  its  own  duties  in  those  respects,  there  was  now 
every  appearance  that  the  Chinese  troops  were  laying  torpedoes  to  block 
the  river  and  were  advancing  to  destroy  the  railway  in  conjunction  with 
the  Boxers.  The  allies  found  themselves  obliged  in  consequence  to 
adopt  measures  for  preserving  communication  with  the  men  already 
landed  from  the  ships  and  to  prevent  Tientsin  from  being  isolated. 
Therefore,  they  determined  that  the  governor  of  Chih-li  must  be  called 
on  to  hand  over  the  Taku  forts,  and,  if  he  declined  to  do  so,  they  must 
be  assaulted.  An  intimation  in  that  sense  was  forwarded  to  the  gov- 
ernor, as  well  as  to  the  officer  in  command  of  the  Chinese  troops,  two 
o'clock  a.  m.  on  the  17th  being  named  as  the  hour  by  which  hostilities 
would  commence  in  the  event  of  the  forts  not  being  handed  over. 

At  3:15  on  the  afternoon  of  that  day  (16th)  a  force  of  180  Russians 
were  landed;  and  at  4  p.  m.  they  were  followed  by  250  British  and  130 
Germans.  By  8  p.  m.  the  situation  had  become  very  critical,  and  it  was 
evident  that  hostilities  might  commence  at  any  moment.  Although 
every  one  was  prepared  for  the  worst,  still  it  occasioned  more  than  sur- 
prise when  at  12:50  a.  m.  June  17  the  forts  opened  fire  on  the  little 
gunboats.  The  sailormen  were  not  long  in  grasping  the  situation,  and 
a  fierce  cannonade  commenced  which  lasted  without  intermission  until 
4:25  a.  m.  Soon  after  the  fight  began  the  Russian  gunboat  Koreetz 
was  struck  by  a  shell  and  set  on  fire;  but  the  tars  quickly  put  this  out. 

Meanwhile  the  tiny  British  torpedo-boat  destroyers  Whiting  and 
Fame,  each  having  a  whale-back  containing  ten  men  in  tow,  proceeded 
to  Taku  dockyard,  where  were  lying  four  Chinese  torpedo-destroyers, 


356  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

only  lately  arrived  from  Germany,  and  these  they  quickly  captured, 
the  crews  offering  but  little  opposition  beyond  a  few  rifle  and  pistol 
shots.  On  being  boarded  the  Chinese  crews  escaped  to  the  dockyard, 
and  subsequently  opened  a  hot  fire  from  the  dock  on  all  six  destroyers. 
This  w^as  quickly  silenced  by  the  destroyers'  guns,  but  not  before  three 
Chinese  on  board  had  been  killed. 

While  this  was  going  on  the  litis  and  Lion  moved  down  stream  to 
support  the  Algerine  and  other  gunboats  which  were  being  hard- 
pressed,  for  the  Atago,  being  heavily  laden  with  ammunition  and  pro- 
visions for  the  allies,  was  prevented  from  taking  a  hand  in  the  bombard- 
ment, while  the  American  ship  Monocacy  also  could  not  take  part  in 
the  bombardment,  as  she  had  on  board  the  foreign  ladies  and  children 
of  the  settlement. 

The  Chinese  gunners  soon  got  the  range,  and  the  German  gunboat 
litis  was  struck  by  8  shells.  Her  commander  lost  a  leg,  and  the  casual- 
ties were  1  officer  and  6  men  killed  and  9  wounded.  The  Silatch  (Rus- 
sian) was  struck  by  4  shells,  one  below  the  water-mark.  She  had  8 
men  killed  and  2  officers  and  46  men  wounded.  The  Lion  (French) 
was  struck  once  and  set  on  fire.  She  had  1  man  killed  and  46  wounded. 
The  Koreetz  (Russian)  received  5  shells  and,  through  the  explosion  of 
a  shell  in  her  magazine,  as  I  said  above,  took  fire.  She  had  5  killed 
and  21  wounded.  The  Bobr  had  1  w^ounded,  but  the  Algerine,  though 
struck  by  a  shell,  had  no  casualties.  Soon  after  the  capture  of  the 
Chinese  destroyers  a  5-inch  shell  from  the  forts  penetrated  the  Whit- 
ing's after  coal  bunker,  injuring  her  No.  4  after  boiler  and  damaging 
177  tubes.  There  was,  however,  no  immediate  danger,  the  pipes  simply 
bending,  which  certainly  speaks  well  for  the  English  builders. 

The  plucky  sailors  of  the  Fame  and  Whiting,  notwithstanding  their 
previous  efforts,  had  no  mind  to  stay  out  of  the  fun,  and  as  soon  as 
they  had  taken  their  prizes  across  the  river  to  Tongku,  they  steamed 
up  stream  again  in  order  to  shell  the  forts  and  cover  the  steamer  Tag, 
bound  for  Tientsin  with  provisions  for  the  garrison  there. 

At  4:35  a.  m.  a  terrible  explosion  occurred,  one  of  the  Chinese  mag- 
azines having  been  blown  up,  and  this  caused  a  breach  through  which 
the  land  forces  afterward  entered.  The  Japanese  tor{)edo-destroyer 
Kagero  had  meanwhile  been  steaming  round  and  round  the  Chinese 
cruiser  Hai-yuen,  but,  as  the  latter  showed  no  sign  of  taking  part  in 
the  hostilities,  the  Kagero  was  dispatched  at  5:20  a.  m,  to  ascertain 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  351 

how  matters  were  proceeding  on  shore.  Owing,  however,  to  the  low 
state  of  the  tide  she  could  not  cross  the  bar. 

While  the  fight  was  proceeding  from  the  waterside  things  had 
moved  equally  quick  on  the  land.  The  forces  for  the  assault  of  the 
forts  were  marshaled,  200  Russians  forming  the  van,  380  British  and 
Germans  the  main  body,  and  300  Japanese,  the  reserve  force,  in  the 
rear,  the  whole  being  under  the  command  of  the  senior  military  officer, 
a  Russian,  Colonel  de  Wogack.  The  advance  commenced  in  echelon  of 
columns,  but,  owing  to  the  hot  fire  opened  by  the  Chinese,  a  command 
was  issued  to  take  skirmishing  order. 

Captain  Hattori,  of  the  imperial  Japanese  navy,  then  perceived  that 
the  Russians  in  the  van  were  making  little  progress  owing  to  the  heavy 
fire  kept  up  by  the  Chinese,  which  mowed  them  down,  and  that  the 
advance  of  the  British  and  the  Germans  was  impeded  by  heavy  ground 
— paddy  fields  knee-to-thigh  deep  in  mud.  He  himself  was  marching 
with  two  fieldpieces  at  the  head  of  his  men,  but,  obsersdng  a  short  road 
of  access  to  the  fort,  doubled  his  marines  at  each  side  of  the  guns  and 
pushed  on  rapidly,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  allies  behind.  The  Chinese 
troops  still  kept  up  a  brisk  fire,  and  Captain  Hattori,  seeing  that  a 
bayonet  charge  was  the  only  resource,  gave  the  necessary  orders.  He 
fell  dead  himself  just  as  he  reached  the  parapet,  but  Lieutenant  Shi- 
raishi  led  the  men  on.  Their  charge  was  successful,  and  the  rest  of  the 
troops  followed  immediately.  At  5:45  a.  m.  the  flag  of  the  Rising  Sun 
was  flying  over  the  fort  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  river.  Then  the 
allies  turned  the  guns  of  this  fort  on  the  others  and  the  Chinese  gar- 
risons fled. 

The  Americans  took  no  part  in  this  fight.  Admiral  Kempff  gave 
his  reasons  for  refusing  to  participate  in  the  attack  on  the  Chinese  for- 
tifications in  his  official  report,  which  was  as  follows: 

"United  States  Flagship  Newark,  Taku,  China,  June  17,  1900.— Sir: 
I  would  state  what  follows  in  regard  to  the  happenings  previous  to  the 
resolve  yesterday  by  the  other  senior  foreign  naval  officers  here  to  get 
possession  of  the  Taku  forts. 

"On  Thursday,  June  14,  Rear  Admiral  Bruce  called  and  asked  what 
I  thought  of  the  matter,  and  I  informed  him  that  I  was  not  authorized 
to  initiate  any  act  of  war  with  a  country  with  which  my  country  was 
at  peace;  that  my  limit  was  to  protect  American  interests,  both  by  reg- 


358  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

ulations  and  under  recent  instructions  from  both  the  department 
and  from  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  United  States  naval  force 
on  the  Asiatic  station. 

"On  the  15th,  at  a  consultation  of  the  other  foreign  naval  officers,  it 
was  agreed  that  the  railroad  station  at  Tong  Fu  should  be  taken — the 
railway  is  under  Chinese  government  control — and  in  case  any  Chinese 
government  force  acted  against  the  force  of  any  foreign  nation  all 
should  be  involved  and  act  unitedly.  Under  my  instructions  I  could 
not  join  in  taking  possession  of  Chinese  government  property,  and  did 
not  care  to  become  a  party  to  such  an  agreement  without  special  au- 
thority. 

"Yesterday,  June  16,  the  same  foreign  naval  officers  signed  a  com- 
pact that  it  was  necessary  to  take  temporary  possession  of  the  Taku 
forts,  and  notice  was  served  on  the  Viceroy  at  Tientsin  and  on  the 
commandant  of  the  forts.  Consuls  at  Tientsin  were  informed  of  what 
was  contemplated.  I  did  not  join  in  the  attack  on  the  forts.  Captain 
Wise  of  the  Monocacy  had  orders  to  protect  American  interests,  based 
upon  department's  orders,  but  in  case  of  attack  by  a  Chinese  govern- 
ment force  he  was  to  consider  it  as  a  declaration  of  war  and  act  ac- 
cordingly. LOUIS  KEMPFF, 

"Rear  Admiral  U.  S.  N." 

"United  States  Flagship  Newark,  Taku,  China,  June  18,  1900.— Sir: 
I  have  the  honor  to  report  as  follows: 

"The  commanding  officers  of  the  gunboats  in  the  river  met  on  the 
afternoon  of  June  16  and  agreed  for  the  senior  officer  of  the  gunboats 
to  direct  the  movement.  This  officer  happened  to  be  a  Russian.  The 
positions  for  the  various  gunboats  were  then  assigned,  taking  positions 
in  the  second  'reach'  of  the  river  above  the  north  fort.  The  gunboats 
participating  were  the  Koreetz,  Guilak,  Bobr,  Russian;  litis,  German; 
Lion,  French;  Algerine,  English.  The  English  torpedo-boat  destroy- 
ers Fame  and  Whiting  joined  in  the  latter  part,  after  securing  the 
captured  torpedo-boats  near  Tong  Ku.  The  Japanese  gunboat  claimed 
that  the  engines  were  disabled,  so  it  remained  moored  near  Tong  Ku, 
and  was  assigned  charge  of  the  railroad  station  at  that  place. 

"The  United  States  steamship  Monocacy,  being  under  orders,  re- 
mained moored  at  Tong  Ku,  and  took  no  part  in  the  action.  Many  for- 
eigners were  afforded  shelter  and  protection  during  the  night.    A  copy 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  359 

of  the  report  of  the  commanding  oflBcer  of  the  Monocacy  is  herewith 
inclosed. 

"The  vessels,  except  the  litis,  took  their  assigned  positions  early 
in  the  evening  of  the  16th  instant,  and,  at  about  12:55  a.  m.,  one  hour 
before  the  expiration  of  the  time  limit,  all  the  fort  guns  which  could  be 
trained  on  the  ships  fired  simultaneously,  many  shots  striking  the 
Koreetz. 

"The  vessels  returned  the  fire  with  a  rapid  fire  from  their  guns, 
which,  with  the  exception  of  the  guns  of  six-inch  caliber,  were  of  small 
rapid-fire  type.  The  guns  on  the  north  fort  were  chiefly  4.7  inch,  while 
the  south  fort  has  a  number  of  guns  from  six  to  eight  inches  in  caliber. 

"The  Algerine,  having  aboard  a  landing  party  of  some  350  men, 
immediately  put  them  ashore.  A  portion  of  them  advanced  through 
Taku  to  the  navy-yard,  and  took  by  surprise  four  new  modern  torpedo 
boats,  carrying  two  tubes  and  six  three-pounders  each,  and,  convoyed 
by  the  Fame  and  Whiting,  took  them  to  Tong  Ku.  The  other  landing 
parties  and  the  remainder  of  the  English,  aggregating  some  650  men, 
awaited  an  opportune  time  for  the  assault.  The  firing  continued  with 
more  or  less  spirit  until  daylight,  when  it  became  rapid  and  active,  and, 
it  is  reported,  extremely  disas-trous  to  the  Chinese. 

"About  4:30  a  shell  entered  the  magazine  of  the  Guilak,  blowing  it 
up,  causing  it  to  tak-e  water,  and  burning  forty-seven  men  more  or  less 
severely.  The  ship  got  over  an  awning  (as  a  collision  mat),  and  after  a 
few  hours'  work  was  floating  at  the  normal  height. 

"At  about  5  a.  m.,  the  gunboats  having  silenced  the  northwest  fort, 
a  landing  force  charged  and  occupied  it,  where,  hoisting  the  flag,  a  few 
casualties  occurred,  notably,  the  captain  of  the  Japanese  landing  party 
and  one  English  sailor  killed  and  several  wounded.  The  Chinese  then 
abandoned  the  north  fort,  which  is  joined  to  the  northwest  fort  by  a 
protected  passage.  After  about  two  hours  more  the  south  forts  were 
taken,  after  the  explosion  of  the  magazine.  Most  of  the  occupants  fled, 
but  were  not  pursued.  So-me  thirty  or  forty  were  found  hiding  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  fort.  The  various  nations  participatijig  hoisted  their 
flags  on  the  various  flagstaffs. 

"The  forts  being  of  thick  mud  and  grass  adobe  were  but  little  dam- 
aged by  the  gun  fire,  although  they  received  a  host  of  projectiles.  The 
guns  and  gun-shields  as  a  rule  were  not  damaged.  Two  or  three  of  the 
modern  guns  were  disabled.    The  dead  Chinese  were  not  counted,  but 


360  FROM  TAKIJ  TO  TIENTSIN, 

it  is  estimated  by  eye-witnesses  that  some  200  dead  were  left  in  tlie 
fort. 

"The  loss  on  the  side  of  the  allied  forces  wa^  as  nearly  as  possible  as 
follows: 

"Algerine — One  officer  badly  injured;  eight  men  wounded. 

"litis — Captain  badly  injured;  three  or  four  men  killed;  six  or  eight 
wounded. 

Korneetz — Two  officers  badly  wounded;  eight  men  dead;  twelve 
wounded. 

"Guilak — One  officer  badly  wounded;  eight  men  killed;  ten 
wounded;  fortj^-seven  burned  by  explosion  of  'powder-room.' 

"Lion — One  man  killed;  one  badly  w^ounded. 

"Other  vessels  engaged,  injuries  of  minor  importance. 

"The  above  is  an  account  gleaned  from  conversation  with  officers 
engaged,  but  may  contain  minor  inaccuracies. 

"During  the  engagement  guns  were  turned  on  the  Monocacy,  which 
was  out  of  the  line  of  fire.  It  was  struck  (no  casualties)  and  was  forced 
to  withdraw  up  the  river. 

"LOUIS  KEMPFF,  Rear  Admiral  U.  S.  N." 

Following  is  the  report  of  the  action  made  by  Commander  Wise  of 
the  Monocacy  to  Rear  Admiral  Kempff: 

"United  States  Steamship  Monocacy,  Tong  Ku,  China,  June  17, 1900. 
— Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  upon  the  occurrences  since  yesterday 
noon.  I  attended  a  meeting  of  officers  at  6  p.  m.  on  board  the  Borbora. 
I  was  shown  the  protocol  and  ultimatum  as  to  the  Taku  forts.  The  sig- 
natures to  the  document  were  autographic,  and,  as  yours  was  not  ap- 
pended, I  informed  the  senior  officer  that  he  would  have  to  leave  the 
Monocacy  out  of  the  plans  and  places  for  vessels  of  the  attacking  forces. 

"The  first  gun  was  fired  at  12:45,  and  with  the  simultaneous  dis- 
charge that  followed  two  of  the  shots  passed  over  the  Monocacy, 
although  the  vessel  was  out  of  the  line  of  fire  between  the  forts  and 
vessels  attacking. 

"The  litis  did  not  leave  its  berth,  which  was  a  short  distance  from 
mine,  until  10 :30,  and  the  Japanese  did  not  leave  during  the  bombard- 
ment. 

"The  fire  was  well  sustained  on  both  sides,  and  although  shells  con- 


FROM  TAKU  TO   TIENTSIN.  361 

tinned  at  intervals  to  pass  me  or  burst  short  or  beyond,  I  attributed  it 
to  a  wild  firing-  by  the  for-ts. 

"About  2:30  I  was  standing  on  top  of  pilot-house  by  the  Gatling.  I 
had  mounted  there  when  I  heard  a  shell  approaching,  and  immediately 
a  crash.  The  second  cutter  hanging  at  the  davits  a  few  feet  below  and 
behind  me  had  been  struck  by  a  shell.  It  entered  the  stern,  tore  out 
the  bottom,  and,  ranging  diagonally  across  the  ship,  struck  out  the 
after  fall  of  the  steam  launch,  smashing  port  forecast  the  ladder  and 
passed  through  the  ship's  side,  in  which  it  left  a  clear-cut  oval  two  feet 
by  ten  inches.  There  were  many  men  on  the  forward  main  deck,  and  it 
must  have  gone  as  close  to  some  of  them  as  it  did  to  me.  It  fortunately 
missed  the  launch's  davit,  as  that  would  have  caused  it  to  explode. 

"It  was  difficult  to  make  out  how  the  allies  were  faring,  but  they 
were  evidently  closing  in,  as,  after  3  a.  m.,  discharges  from  guns  like 
Gatlings  or  Maxims  were  heard.  At  4  o'clock  there  was  a  tremendous 
explosion  and  a  mass  of  flame,  which  I  attributed  to  a  magazine  in  one 
of  the  forts. 

"Tov/ards  4  o'clock  the  bursting  of  shell  in  my  near  vicinity  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  that  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  forts  might  be 
directing  some  of  their  fire  on  the  railroad  station,  as  in  this  flat  country 
it  was  a  prominent  mark,  and  a  number  of  Japanese  and  Russian 
troops  were  encamped  around  it.  In  such  case  the  iMonocacy  would 
be  in  considerable  danger  from  a  fire  which  I  had  hitherto  considered 
bad  shooting.  Acting  upon  the  thought,  I  at  once  cast  off  everything. 
I  steamed  away  from  the  bank  and  went  two  miles  up  the  river,  an- 
choring in  the  first  bend.  This  move  was  made  at  4:50,  and  at  5:30,  the 
fire  slackening  and  a  Japanese  flag  floating  over  one  of  the  forts,  I 
returned  to  my  berth. 

"I  was  able  to  render  the  following  assistance:  First,  a  party  of 
thirty-seven  women  and  children,  refugees  from  the  mission  at  Taku, 
who  had  fled  hurriedly  on  notification  of  the  bombardment.  They  came 
aboard  last  night  at  9  p.  m.,  and  are  still  with  me;  also  came  two  officers 
of  H.  M.  S.  Barfleur,  who  had  come  down  from  Tientsin  too  late  to 
get  to  any  English  ship.  As  I  was  coming  down  the  river  at  6  a.  m. 
met  an  English  torpedo-boat  towing  a  Chinese  boat  prize — I  had  no 
small  boat  to  make  a  landing  so  I  sent  the  launch  to  run  a  line  ashore, 
for  which  thanks  have  been  returned.  I  have  taken  on  board  and  had 
surgical  attendance  for  the  following:    A  Japanese  soldier  with  a  gun- 


362  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

shot  wound;  a  Chinese  coolie  found  close  to  the  ship  with  arm  torn  off 
by  fragment  of  shell;  a  Russian  soldier  with  wound  in  the  hand. 

"This  place  is  deserted  by  every  one;  no  trains,  no  telegraphic  com- 
munication on  shore,  but  I  had  a  'phone  from  Mr.  Pottengill,  who  re- 
ports all  quiet  since  first  disturbance. 

"I  know  nothing  of  the  fight  except  that  the  forts  were  taken.  I  feel 
a  natural  regret — shared,  no  doubt,  by  the  officers — that  duty  and  or- 
ders prevented  the  old  Monocacy  from  giving  its  ancient  smoothbores  a 
last  chance. 

"F.  M.  WISE,  Commander  U.  S.  N.,  Commanding." 

Beginning  on  June  21  there  was  almost  continuous  fighting  in  the 
vicinity  of  Tientsin  between  the  allied  forces  and  the  Chinese  troops. 
On  that  date  the  Chinese  attacked  the  allies.  Major  Waller,  with  the 
American  marines  and  440  Russians,  was  ambushed  three  miles  from 
the  city  and  compelled  to  retreat  after  losing  four  killed,  seventy 
wounded,  and  abandoning  a  three-inch  rifle  and  a  Colt  gun. 

Two  days  later,  on  June  23,  Major  Waller,  with  130  American  ma- 
rines and  two  companies  of  British  marines,  marched  on  Tientsin,  sup- 
ported by  300  additional  British  marines  and  300  W^elsh  Fusileers.  A 
second  column  made  up  of  Russian  and  German  troops  followed.  In 
the  engagement  which  followed  the  allies  were  driven  back. 

After  these  engagements  the  Chinese  reinforced  the  walled  native 
city  five  miles  northeast  of  Tientsin  and  made  every  preparation  to  re- 
sist the  advance  of  the  allies.  On  July  2  there  was  severe  fighting, 
the  Chinese  developing  unexpected  strength.  The  allies  numbered 
about  14,000,  while  it  was  estimated  that  25,000  Chinese  troops  were 
brought  into  action  during  the  engagement.  The  British  losses  were 
thirty  killed  and  wounded.  One  company  of  Russian  infantry,  num- 
bering 125  men,  had  115  of  them  either  killed  or  wounded.  The  Ger- 
mans also  suffered  severely.    The  action  was  not  decisive. 

On  July  9  General  Dorward  (British),  commanding  950  British,  400 
Russians,  and  100  American  marines,  with  General  Tukushung  and 
1,000  Japanese  soldiers,  captured  the  Chinese  position  southwest  of  the 
city,  killing  350  and  capturing  four  guns.  General  Dorward  reported  to 
the  British  war  office  that  the  honors  of  the  day  rested  with  the  Amer- 
icans and  Japanese. 


PROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  363 

There  were  three  hours  of  sharp  fighting  on  July  11,  the  allies  losing 
100  killed  and  wounded,  without  gaining  any  decided  advantage. 

The  Ninth  regiment  arrived  from  Manila  on  July  11  and  was  im- 
mediately sent  to  the  front.  Two  days  later  came  the  severest  engage- 
ment so  far  in  the  campaign.  The  allies  attacked  the  native  walled 
city  of  Tientsin  and  were  repulsed  after  an  all-day  battle.  The  Ninth 
regiment  suffered  severely,  its  commander,  Colonel  Liscum,  being  killed, 
together  with  eighteen  of  his  men.  Seventy-five  men  of  the  Ninth  were 
wounded. 

The  following  day,  however,  the  plan  originally  agreed  upon  was 
carried  out.  The  Japanese  engineers  gallantly  made  a  breach  in  the 
walls  of  the  native  city  and  it  was  carried  by  storm,  the  shattered  Ninth 
regiment  being  one  of  the  first  to  enter  the  town. 

The  reports  of  Colonel  R.  L.  Meade  and  Major  L.  W.  T.  Waller,  of 
the  United  States  Marine  Corps,  gave  a  graphic  account  of  the  capture 
of  the  city.  Colonel  Meade  in  describing  the  early  fighting,  in  which 
the  marines  and  Ninth  infantry  took  such  a  gallant  part,  says: 

"We  reached  the  advanced  position  about  8  a.  m.  I  took  180  rounds 
per  man  with  me — 100  rounds  in  the  belts  and  eighty  in  the  haversacks. 
This  is  not  sufficient  for  an  all-day  fight,  and  as  it  grew  toward  night  I 
began  to  be  apprehensive  of  being  left  in  an  advance  position  in  a  fight 
where  no  prisoners  were  taken  on  either  side,  with  only  the  bayonet  to 
fight  with. 

"On  the  firing  line  the  action  was  especially  hot,  and  the  enemy's 
fire  especially  rapid  and  accurate,  and  at  about  8:30  a.  m.  the  enemy 
appeared  in  large  numbers  upon  our  left  and  among  the  grave  mounds 
of  the  field  in  which  we  were,  with  the  evident  intention  of  flanking 
us.  I  made  a  turning  movement  to  the  left  and  rear,  and  we  drove 
them  away.  Later  in  the  day,  about  2  p.  m.,  they  again  made  a  flank- 
ing effort,  but  at  this  time  the  infantry  support  of  the  artillery  company 
was  on  the  mud  wall  of  the  city  and  aided  us  by  a  cross  fire.  This  com- 
pany was  commanded  by  Captain  C.  G.  Long.  The  effort  of  the  enemy 
proved  a  failure,  and  we  drove  them  in. 

"We  remained  in  the  trenches  until  about  8  p.  m.,  when  we  received 
an  order  from  the  brigadier-general  commanding  to  withdraw,  which 
was  probably  the  most  difficult  action  of  the  day,  since  the  enemy  had 
so  well  covered  our  position  that  their  shots  struck  the  crests  of  the 
trenches  and  threw  dirt  in  our  faces,  many  being  hit. 


364  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

"General  Dorward  ordered  that  the  troops  should  sleep  upon  their 
arms  that  night,  and  on  the  following  morning  enter  the  city.  The 
south  gate  had  to  be  blown  in  by  guncotton.  The  troops  had  had 
nothing  whatever  to  eat  on  the  13th  save  the  small  luncheon  (if  it  may 
be  so  called)  which  each  man  carried  in  his  haversack.  It  was  not  ex- 
pected when  we  started  that  the  action  would  prove  so  long,  but  Gen- 
eral Dorward,  knowing  the  situation,  kindly  sent  to  the  reservation 
for  food  and  other  necessaries,  and  the  bivouac  proved  a  success,  and 
the  men,  although  very  fatigued,  were  ready  for  duty. 

"On  the  14th  inst.,  the  south  gate  having  been  blown  in,  we  moved 
into  the  walled  city  at  about  6  o'clock  a.  m.  We  found  the  city  filled 
with  dead  Chinamen  and  animals.  No  resistance  was  made  to  our 
occupation  in  the  walled  city  itself,  but  an  infantry  fire  was  kept  up 
by  the  Japanese  infantry  upon  the  enemy,  who  responded  from  the 
suburbs.  Since  then  we  have  had  undisturbed  possession  of  all  Tien- 
tsin." 

Colonel  Meade  inclosed  the  following  letter  from  General  Dorward, 
the  commander  of  the  British  forces: 

"From  the  General  Officer  Commanding  British  Forces  in  China  to 
the  Officer  Commanding  the  United  States  Forces:  Tientsin,  China, 
July  15,  1900. — Sir:  I  desire  to  express  the  high  appreciation  of  the 
British  troops  of  the  honor  done  them  in  serving  alongside  their  com- 
rades of  the  American  army  during  the  long  and  hard  fighting  of  the 
13th,  and  the  subsequent  capture  of  Tientsin  city  and  of  my  own  ap- 
preciation of  the  high  honor  accorded  to  me  by  having  them  under  my 
command. 

"The  American  troops  formed  part  of  the  front  line  of  the  British 
attack  and  so  had  more  than  their  share  of  the  fighting  that  took  place. 
The  ready  and  willing  spirit  of  the  officers  and  men  will  always  make 
their  command  easy  and  pleasant,  and  when  one  adds  to  that  the  steady 
gallantry  and  power  of  holding  onto  exposed  positions,  which  they 
displayed  on  the  13th  inst.,  the  result  is  soldiers  of  the  highest  class. 

"We  all  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in  the  heavy  losses  you  have 
suffered,  especially  with  the  Mnth  regiment  in  the  loss  of  their  gallant 
colonel,  E.  H.  Liscum,  while  at  the  head  of  his  men,  and  with  the  First 
regiment  of  marines  in  the  death  of  Captain  Davis,  who  met  a  soldier's 
death  in  the  very  front  of  the  fight. 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  365 

"I  blame  myself  for  the  mistake  made  in  the  taking  up  of  their 
position  by  the  Ninth  regiment,  not  remembering  that  troops  wliorlly 
fresh  to  the  scene  of  action  and  hurried  forward  in  the  excitement  of 
attack  were  likely  to  lose  their  way.  Still  the  position  they  took  up 
and  gallantly  stuck  to  all  day  undoubtedly  prevented  a  large  body  of 
the  enemy  from  turning  the  right  of  the  attacking  party  and  inflicting 
serious  loss  on  the  French  and  Japanese. 

"Among  many  instances  of  personal  bravery  in  the  action  I  pro- 
pose specially  to  bring  to  notice  in  dispatches  the  conduct  of  First 
Lieutenant  Smealey  D.  Butler,  United  States  marine  corps,  in  bringing 
a  wounded  man  from  the  front  under  heavy  and  accurate  fire.  Lieuten- 
ant Butler  was  wounded  while  so  doing,  but  I  am  glad  to  learn  not 
seriously.  The  regimental  adjutant,  First  Lieutenant  Henry  Leonard, 
as  Lieutenant  Butler  was  suffering  severely,  volunteered  to  carry  him 
out  of  the  firing  line.  This  gallant  feat  he  successfully  accomplished, 
but  I  regret  to  say  was  very  dangerously  wounded  in  so  doing. 

"The  Ninth  regiment  was  fighting  somewhat  outside  my  sphere  of 
action,  so  I  am  to  bring  forward  only  one  instance  of  personal  gallantry 
in  that  regiment,  although  circumstanced  as  they  were — fighting  for 
about  twelve  hours  almost  alone  and  unsupported  and  never  giving 
back  a  foot  of  ground  until  directed  to  retire  under  cover  of  night  and 
fire  of  the  naval  guns — such  instances  must  have  been  very  numerous. 
The  one  I  would  refer  to  is  the  bringing  back  to  me  by  the  acting  regi- 
mental adjutant.  Captain  Lawton,  of  the  account  of  the  position  of 
the  regiment  across  a  wide  and  fire-swept  space  and  returning  with 
reinforcements  to  guide  them  to  his  regiment  when  he  was  severely 
wounded. 

"The  withdrawal  of  the  regiment  was  a  delicate  military  operation 
finely  carried  out,  on  which  I  congratulate  Lieutenant-Colonel  Coolidge 
and  the  officers  and  men  under  his  command. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"A.  R.  F.  DORWARD,  Brigadier-General." 

Major  Waller's  report  is  of  especial  interest,  as  he  had  command  of 
the  marines  in  the  fight  before  Tientsin  was  reached.  The  report  is 
dated  Tientsin,  June  28,  and  says  in  part: 

"At  2  in  the  morning  (June  19)  the  Russian  colonel  informed  me  that 


366  FROM.  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

he  would  push  on  with  his  400  men  and  attempt  to  get  into  Tientsin  and 
aid  in  the  defense  of  the  city.  I  objected,  but  was  overruled  in  council. 
My  reason  told  me  that  there  was  a  slim  chance  for  passing  the  Chinese 
force  with  only  530  men  and  no  guns;  the  three-inch  rifle  proving  de- 
fective, I  disabled  it  and  rolled  it  into  the  river  and  followed  the  Eus- 
sians  in  the  twelve-mile  march  on  Tientsin.  The  Russian  column  was 
in  advance,  400  strong,  with  my  Colt  6  m-m  gun  in  their  front,  under 
the  command  of  Lieutenant  Powell.  The  advance  continued  until  7 
o'clock  a.  m.,  without  opposition,  when  we  reached  a  point  opposite 
the  imperial  arsenal. 

"There  we  met  a  small  flank  fire,  which  was  quickly  silenced  by  our 
sharpshooters.  About  ten  minutes  later  we  met  a  very  heavy  front  and 
flank  fire  from  1,500  or  2,000  men  intrenched.  We  deployed  and  my 
line  feeling  the  flank  fire  turned  to  the  left  and  rear,  confronting  the 
fiank  movement,  our  line  at  that  time  having  its  front  advanced  and 
right  flank  refused. 

"The  support  of  the  Colt  gun  having  dwindled  to  two  men  and  the 
gun  having  jammed  several  times,  all  the  crew  being  shot  down  but 
one,  Mr.  Powell  very  properly  decided  to  abandon  it,  which  he  did,  after 
disabling  the  gun.  Receiving  notice  that  the  Russians  would  retreat 
to  a  point  four  miles  beyond  our  bivouac,  I  began  my  retreat,  moving 
by  the  right  flank  and  keeping  up  a  fight  for  four  hours  with  the  en- 
emy, who  were  in  force,  imperial  troops  and  Boxers.  We  succeeded  in 
falling  back,  bringing  our  wounded  by  hand.  At  3  p.  m.  we  had  reached 
our  base,  having  marched  thirty  miles  and  fought  for  four  hours.  I  was 
obliged  to  leave  the  dead,  but  brought  off  the  wounded.  Our  casualties 
were  four  killed  and  nine  wounded. 

"It  was  agreed  that  we  should  advance  in  two  columns  on  the  next 
day  at  4  a.  m.  My  force  occupied  the  advance  of  the  British  column 
and  the  right  of  the  firing  line.  We  struck  the  enemy  at  about  7  a.  m. 
and  drove  them  steadily  until  about  12:30  p.  m.,  when  we  entered  Tien- 
tsin, relieving  the  besieged  Europeans,  our  losses  being  for  the  day  one 
killed  and  three  wounded. 

"At  noon  on  the  27th  the  Russians,  having  attacked  the  arsenal, 
the  scene  of  my  repulse  on  the  22d,  and  which  had  not  been  captured, 
asked  for  reinforcements.  I  sent  out  Second  Lieutenant  Jolly  with 
forty  men,  Mr.  Harding,  my  adjutant,  joining  as  a  volunteer,  and  placed 
the  whole  under  the  command  of  Commander  Craddock,  R.  N.    This 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  367 

force  was  about  1,800  strong  and  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  from 
the  parapets,  out  of  their  fortifications  and  in  full  flight.  It  was  devel- 
oped that  the  enemy  had  about  7,000  men  at  this  point.  Our  men 
charged  over  the  parapet  with  a  British  company,  being  the  first  in,  in 
this  part  of  the  fight.  Our  loss  here  was  one  wounded  and  Lieutenant 
Jolly  overcome  by  the  heat,  but  not  until  after  he  had  brought  his 
men  back  to  their  quarters.  Lieutenant  Harding  acted  as  a  volunteer 
and  captured  an  imperial  flag,  which  he  has  presented  to  me. 

"Having  given  you  the  bare  facts,  I  wish  to  invite  attention  to  the 
incidents  of  the  busy  week.  Our  men  marched  ninety-seven  miles  in 
the  five  days,  fighting  all  the  way.  They  have  lived  on  about  one  meal 
a  day  for  six  days,  but  have  been  cheerful  and  willing  always.  They 
have  gained  the  highest  praise  from  all  forces  present  and  have  earned 
my  love  and  confidence.  They  are  like  Falstaff's  army  in  appearance, 
but  with  brave  hearts  and  bright  weapons. 

"I  have  earnestly  to  recommend  to  your  notice  for  such  reward  as 
you  may  deem  .proper  the  following  officers:  Lieutenant  S.  D.  Butler 
for  the  admirable  conduct  of  his  men  in  all  the  fights  of  the  week,  for 
saving  a  wounded  man  at  the  risk  of  his  life  and  under  a  very  heavy 
fire;  Lieutenant  A.  E.  Harding,  for  conspicuous  gallantry  in  action,  for 
saving  wounded  at  the  risk  of  his  life  under  a  heavy  fire;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant W.  L.  Jolly,  for  the  same  risk  and  for  leading  a  fine  charge  over 
the  parapets  in  the  face  of  a  heavy  fire;  First  Lieutenant  Leonard,  for 
saving  life  under  fire  and  for  admirable  control  and  direction  of  the 
fire;  First  Lieutenant  Powell,  for  working  and  managing  the  Colt  gun 
under  a  fierce  fire  and  without  support  after  the  crew  had  been  shot 
down;  First  Lieutenant  Wynne,  for  his  steadfast  courage  and  encour- 
agement of  his  men. 

"As  for  the  men,  I  feel  that  I  cannot  do  them  justice.  I  shall  send 
you  the  names  of  special  instances  in  their  cases,  hoping  that  a  suitable 
reward  may  be  given  them,  as  far  as  the  law  allows. 

"I  have  also  to  ask  that  you  urge  the  department  to  thank  the  Brit- 
ish surgeons  for  their  care,  on  the  field  and  in  hospital,  of  our  wounded. 
Especially  do  I  wish  to  recommend  to  the  department's  notice  the  ser- 
vices of  Surgeon  Kobley  H.  J.  Browne,  R.  N.,  H.  M.  S.  Alacrity.  So 
sure  was  his  service  and  search  of  the  field  that  we  were  enabled  to  get 
all  rifles  on  the  firing  line  with  the  sure  knowledge  that  the  dead  and 
wounded  would  be  attended  to.     We  had  no  surgeon  or  medical  sup- 


368  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN. 

plies.     The  operations  under  Commander  Craddock,  R.  N.,  were  admir- 
ably planned  and  executed." 

Prioa*  to  the  bombardment  the  commanders  combined  in  a  proclama- 
tion to  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  which  was  as  follows: 

"To  the  Inhabitants  of  the  City  of  Tientsin:  In  bombarding  the 
city  of  Tientsin  the  allied  forces  replied  only  to  the  attack  made  by  the 
rebels  on  the  foreign  settlements.  At  present,  as  your  authorities,  for- 
getting their  duties,  have  deserted  their  posts,  the  allied  forces  consider 
it  their  duty  to  establish  in  the  city  a  temporary  administration,  which 
you  all  have  to  obey.  This  administration  will  protect  every  one  wish- 
ing to  deal  in  a  friendly  manner  with  foreigners,  but  will  punish  with- 
out mercy  every  one  who  causes  trouble. 

"Let  the  bad  people  tremble;  but  the  good  people  should  feel 
assured,  and  quietly  return  to  their  houses  and  begin  their  usual  work. 
Thus  peace  will  be  restored. 

"Respect  this. 

"Tientsin,  the  16th  of  July,  1900. 

"Approved  by: 

"Allamange — Von  Usedom,  Capitaine  de  Navire. 

"Aitriche  Hougrie — J.  Tudrak,  Lieutenant  de  Vaisse^u. 

"Etats  Unis  d'Amerique — Colonel  Meade,  American  Marines. 

"France — De  Palacol,  Colonel. 

"Grande  Bretagne — Le  General  Dorward,  Captain  Bayly. 

"Italie — G.  Sirianni,  Lieutenant  de  Vaisseau. 

"Japon — Le  General  Fukushima. 

"Russie — Vice-Admiral  E.  Alexieff,  General-Major  Stessel." 

The  ancient  stone  walls  of  the  city  surrounded  on  the  day  of  its 
occupation  by  th.e  allied  troops  a  square  mile  of  such  filth,  ruin  and 
death,  such  turmoil  and  pillage  as  history  could  hardly  duplicate. 
Under  normal  conditions  the  place  was  no  better  than  a  huge  cesspool, 
festering  with  the  accumulated  rubbish  and  slops  from  a  population  of 
nearly  1,000,000  packed  into  a  labyrinth  of  hovels  around  the  palaces 
of  viceroys  and  petty  taotais,  who  absorbed  their  wealth  and  gave  them 
not  even  sewers  in  return.  The  European  soldiers,  when  they  fought 
their  way  up  to  the  walls,  saw  floating  in  the  canals  and  ditches  outside 
dojjens  of  Chinese  slain  by  their  own  people  because  th**y  refused  to 


FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN.  369 

fight.  The  bodies  were  headless  and  the  hands  were  tied  behind  their 
backs.  The  heads  were  discovered  afterward.  Rows  of  them  decorated 
the  outer  walls,  hung  by  their  pigtails. 

The  sights  inside  compelled  respect  for  the  fighting  qualities  of  the 
Chinese.  Their  dead  were  everywhere.  Dressed  in  the  coarse  blue 
coolie  blouse  and  trousers,  decorated  with  characters  guaranteed  to  ren- 
der them  invulnerable  to  foreign  bullets,  they  were  strewn  all  along 
the  top  of  the  wall  wherever  they  had  fallen.  For  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
along  the  embankment  the  bodies  averaged  one  in  ten  feet  and  the 
wall  was  nearly  ten  miles  long.  Throughout  the  city  the  demolished 
houses  and  hundreds  of  killed  gave  evidence  of  how  vastly  more  effect- 
ive had  been  the  foreign  shell  fire  within  the  walls  of  the  city  than 
the  Chinese  bombardment  of  the  foreign  settlenient,  which,  lasting 
for  a  month,  had  killed  only  a  dozen  people. 

The  living  populace  were  utterly  indifferent  to  their  dead.  They 
trampled  them  under  foot  without  bothering  to  turn  aside. 

Most  remarkable  of  all  the  sights  was  the  looting  of  the  city.  The 
middle  of  the  place  was  like  an  ant  hill  kicked  open.  Chinese  swarmed 
everywhere,  thousands  and  thousands  of  them,  diving  into  the  flames  of 
the  burning  shops,  getting  under  falling  walls  and  into  choking  clouds 
of  smoke.  Most  of  them  were  half  naked,  grimy  with  smoke  and  some- 
times dripping  with  blood.  They  preyed  upon  one  another.  A  Chinese 
appearing  with  a  prize  must  fight  his  way;  other  Chinese  sprung  upon 
him  and  clutched  his  plunder.  They  rolled  among  the  corpses,  pulling 
and  tearing,  while  children  being  trampled  down  cried  for  help  and 
the  mob  poured  right  along  over  them. 

The  palaces,  the  mint,  the  pawnshops,  the  stores  of  silks,  furs  and 
jewelry,  were  the  first  objects  of  attack.  Near  the  middle  of  the  city 
was  the  most  prosperous  pawnshop.  When  the  doors  v/ere  battered 
down  crowds  flowed  in  like  a  tidal  wave.  There  were  British  officers, 
naval  and  military,  soldiers  and  sailors,  with  a  good  sprinkling  of 
Sikhs,  but  principally  Chinese.  The  Chinese  knew  v/here  the  best  treas- 
ure was  to  be  found  and  the  soldiers  followed  them.  Two  forces  col- 
lided in  the  gateway,  a  rush  line  of  Chinese  struggling  to  enter  and 
another  line  fighting  to  get  out  with  great  armfiils  of  loot.  Tientsin 
experienced  a  sweeping  redistribution  of  wealth,  but  on  the  old  scheme 
of  prizes  to  the  strongest. 

The  looting  flourished  for  three  days.    On  the  first  day  it  was  en- 


370  FROM  TAKU  TO  TIENTSIN, 

tirely  unrestrained.  Many  white  people  accumulated  stacks  of  goods 
by  simply  standing  at  the  city  gates  and  holding  up  the  best-laden  Chi- 
nese. English  officers  rode  with  their  horses  concealed  under  dry 
goods  and  soldiers  slung  bundles  on  their  bayonets. 

On  the  second  day  a  conference  of  commanding  officers  empowered 
the  British  to  seize  all  loot.  The  official  statement  was  that  all  seized 
loot  would  be  sold,  the  proceeds  to  be  divided  among  the  soldiers  as 
prize  money.  The  Japanese,  so  far  as  casual  observation  showed,  did 
the  least  looting  because  of  the  admirable  discipline  under  which  their 
soldiers  are  held.  The  Americans  had  all  to  themselves  one  large  ar- 
senal, which  they  occupied  on  entering  the  city.  Munitions  of  war  were 
not  the  only  contents  of  the  arsenal.  High  officers  had  lived  there,  and 
in  flight  had  left  stacks  of  clothing  and  other  articles  of  great  value.  On 
the  third  day  of  the  occupation  the  Americans  seized  from  plunderers 
nearly  1,000,000  taels'  worth  of  silver  and  other  precious  metals. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
"ON  TO  PEKING." 

Waiting  for  Reinforcements— On  tlie  Road  to  Peking— Bravery  of  the  Japanese— Terrific 
Fire  of  tlie  Cliinese— Duel  witli  Artillery— (jaudy  Banners  in  the  Breeze- Brave  Charge 
of  the  Boys  in  Blue— Work  of  Reilly's  Battery— Americans  Killed  by  English  Shells- 
Rapid  Advance  of  the  Allies— At  the  Gates  of  Peking— The  Siege  of  the  City  Begun. 

AFTEK  the  capture  of  the  walled  city  of  Tientsin  the  Chinese 
fell  back  in  the  direction  of  Peking  and  a  long  delay  ensued. 
The  allies  waited  for  reinforcements,  gathered  supplies,  and 
organized  the  transport  necessary  for  the  final  advance  on 
the  Chinese  capital. 

When  the  allies  marched  out  of  Tientsin  on  August  4,  it  was  the 
plan  that  the  Russians  should  go  up  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  with 
the  French,  and  the  Japanese,  British  and  Americans  were  to  go  on  the 
right  bank.  Camp  was  made  along  the  fringe  of  villages  that  mark  the 
northern  limit  of  Tientsin. 

Very  soon  after  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  men  were  routed  out 
and  before  daylight  were  on  the  march.  The  Japanese  had  the  advance 
of  the  western  column,  with  the  British  and  Americans  behind 
them.  The  Russians  were  supposed  to  take  care  of  the  Chinese  left, 
across  the  river.  The  Terrible's  twelve-pounders  opened  the  action, 
having  moved  forward  into  position  near  the  river  north  of  the  Hsi-Ku 
arsenal.  They  shelled  the  first  village  to  the  north  of  where  the  arsenal 
was. 

The  Chinese  replied  at  once  with  such  accuracy  that  the  first  shell 
sent  half  a  dozen  civilians  scattering  for  their  lives.  The  British  guns 
were  too  much  for  the  Chinese,  and  the  latter  soon  gave  up  the  strug- 
gle. Then  a  few  Japanese  went  into  the  village  and  cleaned  it  out, 
capturing  ten  guns. 

To  the  westward,  under  cover  of  the  Pao-Ting-Fu  road,  the  line 
was  well  out.  The  Chinese  opened  on  it  with  shell  fire  and  the  first 
shrapnel  killed  two  Japanese  cavalrymen  and  their  horses.  The  Japa- 
nese were  ready,  but  the  Americans  and  British  had  not  yet  reached 
their  positions.    The  Japanese  did  not  wait,  however.    They  went  in  on 

171 


3Y2  "ON  TO  PEKING." 

a  frontal  attack  against  the  Chinese  extreme  right,  where  it  rested  on 
the  Pao-Ting-Fu  road,  and  the  line  of  trenches  leading  toward  Pei- 
tsang. 

In  a  beautiful  line  and  in  magnificent  order  the  little  fellows  went 
to  their  work,  the  white  caps  showing  through  the  cornfields  like  the 
bullsejes  of  a  thousand  targets.  The  Chinese  fire  was  terrific,  but  it 
did  not  check  the  attack.  The  Japanese  kept  on  steadily,  and  when  the 
Chinese  stopped  their  guns  Fukushima's  men  only  pressed  the  harder, 
for  they  realized  that  they  were  nearing  the  goal.  It  was  hot  work, 
and  many  a  man  was  hit,  but  it  seemed  only  a  few  minutes  before  the 
Japanese  had  doubled  the  Chinese  right  back  on  itself  and  were  rolling 
the  pigtails  up  in  their  own  trenches. 

Farther  down  the  line  the  Japanese  had  extended  into  the  positions 
originally  intended  for  the  British  and  Americans.  The  Royal  artil- 
lery got  over  the  Pao-Ting-Fu  road  and  into  action  against  the  arsenal, 
and  a  Japanese  battery  joined  them.  The  Chinese  tried  to  reply,  and 
for  a  little  time  their  fire  was  effective,  but  it  was  soon  silenced.  Then 
the  infantry  went  in  and  the  Chinese  retreated  toward  Yangtsun. 

When  the  time  came  to  gather  up  the  dead  and  wounded  the  Japa- 
nese had  another  example  of  the  cost  of  a  frontal  attack  against  an 
intrenched  position  defended  by  magazine  rifles.  Their  dead  and 
wounded  numbered  more  than  three  hundred,  and  four  officers  were 
among  the  killed. 

It  was  all  over  by  8:30  o'clock,  and  by  10  all  the  troops  had  come 
up  even  with  the  Chinese  camp  above  Peit-Sang  and  halted.  The  Chi- 
nese had  left  in  such  a  hurry  that  they  had  not  destroyed  their  very 
excellent  pontoon  bridge.  The  generals  decided  to  camp  for  the  night, 
and  General  Gaselee  sent  the  Bengal  lancers  on  this  afternoon  to  spy 
out  the  land  toward  Yangtsun. 

On  the  following  day  (August  6)  the  army  marched  sixteen  miles  in 
stifling  heat  along  sandy,  dusty  roads,  and  then  for  six  hours  fought 
through  fields  of  tall  corn  and  over  the  stiff  embankment  of  the  rail- 
road, through  half  a  dozen  villages  and  over  a  set  of  trenches  finer  than 
even  the  Filipinos  build.  The  fight  took  the  Americans  and  part  of  the 
B^tish  more  than  a  mile  beyond  their  camp,  and  evening  found  them 
with  twenty  miles  to  their  credit. 

The  first  of  the  start  was  early.  Bugles  were  going  soon  after  3 
o'clock,  and  before  4  o'clock  the  men  were  crossing  the  bridge  of  boats. 


"ON  TO  PEKING."  373 

The  Americans  and  British  had  the  advance,  marching  in  two  columns, 
the  Americans  along  the  railroad  and  the  British  by  the  river  road. 
Two  companies  of  the  Second  East  Siberian  regiment  formed  the  ad- 
vance guard,  and  the  main  body  of  Russians  followed  the  British  along 
the  river  road*.  The  Japanese  sent  a  large  force  up  the  right  bank,  and 
the  remainder  with  the  field  batteries  followed  the  Americans  by  the 
railroad  embankment.  The  French  followed  the  Japanese,  and  then 
came  the  interminable  tangle  of  baggage  and  supply  trains,  stretching 
miles  in  rear  of  the  fighting  men. 

The  march  was  through  the  usual  flat  country,  covered  with  truck 
gardens  and  fields  of  tremendously  tall  broom  corn.  An  occasional 
clump  of  trees  marked  the  place  where,  on  a  little  rise  of  ground,  a  col- 
lection of  mud  huts  had  been  gathered  into  a  village.  The  pace  was 
rather  fast  and  there  were  very  few  stops  for  rest,  so  that  the  men  were 
well  worn  out  when  they  came  in  sight  of  the  village  that  marks  the 
southern  outskirts  of  Yangtsun. 

The  Russian  advance  guard,  swinging  unconcernedly  along  the  road, 
ran  into  a  very  hot  rifle  fire  at  the  edge  of  this  village,  and  the  column 
was  halted  while  Generals  Gaselee  and  Chaffee  climbed  up  a  big  sand- 
hill beside  the  road  and  looked  over  the  country.  From  the  top  of  the 
sandhill  the  battlefield  lay  out  like  a  relief  map.  Yangtsun  lay  close 
north,  the  village  on  the  outskirts  being  a  mile  and  a  half  away.  To 
the  eastward,  half  a  mile  off,  was  t)  e  railroad  embankment.  From 
Yangtsun  a  double  line  of  villages,  Lalf  a  mile  apart,  curved  away  to 
the  east  and  south,  following  the  course  of  the  railroad,  and  the  inner 
line  about  a  mile  from  it.  The  railroad  crosses  the  river  on  a  big  bridge 
about  a  mile  or  more  below  Yangtsun. 

The  fight  began  at  the  village  just  below  the  railroad  bridge.  The 
Chinese  right  was  thrown  across  the  river  and  had  two  small  guns 
posted  on  the  railroad  embankment.  The  ruins  of  Admiral  Seymour's 
train  stand  on  the  track  where  they  were  abandoned,  and  the  Chinese 
were  about  the  two  nearest  the  river. 

As  soon  as  the  Chinese  formation  became  apparent  the  dispositions 
to  meet  it  were  made.  The  first  Sikhs  and  Twenty-fourth  Punjaubis 
were  deployed  along  the  right  of  the  wagon  road,  the  Fourteenth  join- 
ing them  on  the  right  and  extending  to  the  railroad.  The  Ninth  and 
the  marines  crossed  the  track  with  Reilly's  battery  and  two  squadrons 
of  the  Bengal  lancers  were  sent  out  to  cover  our  extreme  right.    The 


374  "ON  TO  PEKING." 

Royal  artillery  15-pounders  were  posted  at  the  west  of  the  main  road, 
and  Reilly's  guns  swung  into  action  across  the  railroad  and  well  up 
toward  Yangtsun.  The  Welsh  fusileers  were  in  support  of  the  Sikhs 
and  Punjaubis,  and  the  Seventh  Rajputs  in  reserve.  So  they  went  into 
the  fight— Russians,  Sikhs,  Punjaubis,  Welsh,  Rajputs,  proper  English- 
men, and  Americans,  not  omitting  the  Irish. 

The  artillery  began  the  real  fight.  The  work  of  the  Russian  advance 
guard  being  merely  a  developer,  and  right  at  the  start  the  Royal  artil- 
lery missed  the  chance  of  a  lifetime.  When  the  rifle  fire  between  the 
Russians  and  the  Chinese  at  the  angle  formed  by  the  railroad  and  the 
wagon  road  was  at  its  liveliest  a  long  line  of  Chinese  was  observed 
leaving  Yangtsun  for  one  of  the  villages  to  the  eastward.  The  gaudy 
banners  flapped  in  the  brisk  breeze  and  showed  the  position  of  the  col- 
umn at  every  turn.  There  were  the  bright  reds  so  much  affected  by  the 
Chinese  and  an  occasional  yellow  and  blue  imperial  flag.  In  all,  four- 
teen of  them  rose  above  the  tall  Kaolian  and  beckoned  the  Royal  ar- 
tillery to  fire. 

Captain  Wingate,  chief  of  the  British  intelligence  office,  hopped  up 
and  down  on  the  sandhill  and  pointed  them  out  to  the  commander  of 
the  Royal  artillery. 

"There's  your  chance,  Mr.  Gunner,"  he  said,  "you'll  never  have  such 
another  in  all  your  life." 

But  Major  Hay  was  not  inclined  to  take  it.  He  looked  on  without 
any  show  of  interest  for  a  minui  e  or  so,  and  then  said,  w  ith  a  wave  of 
his  hand  toward  the  American  battery  down  by  the  railroad: 

"There's  the  American  battery.    It's  their  game." 

Afterward  he  explained  that  the  range  was  too  great,  but  it  was 
scarcely  4,000  yards.  They  were  then  waiting  in  the  road  beside  the 
sandhill,  and  could  have  been  in  action  in  five  minutes.  General  Gase- 
lee  saw,  but  said  nothing  for  a  few  minutes.  Then  he  sent  a  message 
to  General  Chaffee,  who  had  started  to  join  his  men,  asking  him  to  send 
Reilly  against  the  Chinese  lines. 

Reilly  at  once  crossed  the  railroad  embankment,  but,  by  the  time  he 
had  got  near  the  proper  position  for  opening  up,  another  request  came 
from  Gaselee,  and  the  Chinese  got  away  unmolested.  They  swung 
around  behind  the  village,  and,  coming  back  in  front  of  it,  planted  their 
banners  in  the  Kaolian  and  seemed  to  halt.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
men  left  the  banners  there  and  advanced  through  the  Kaolian  clear  to 


"ON  TO  PEKING."  373 

the  railroad  embankment,  where  they  came  in  ahead  of  and  a  little  on 
the  right  flank  of  the  Fourteenth. 

Meantime  both  British  and  American  batteries  had  gone  into  ac- 
tion, firing  at  the  guns  the  Chinese  were  serving  from  positions  in  their 
center  and  left.  Some  of  the  Chinese  guns  made  very  good  practice, 
exploding  their  shells  all  around  Reilly's  battery.  But  the  guns  were  all 
small  and  the  shells  did  no  damage.  Off  behind  one  of  the  villages  at 
the  east  the  Chinese  had  a  small  battery,  two  or  four  guns,  but  Reilly 
very  quickly  convinced  them  of  the  wisdom  of  going  still  farther  away. 
Then  he  shelled  the  village  and  set  a  few  fires. 

Two  things  were  happening  while  this  was  going  on.  For  one,  the 
Chinese  right  was  retiring  through  the  two  villages  on  the  river  bank 
to  the  railroad  embankment.  For  the  other,  the  Bengal  lancers  were 
missing  a  chance  to  win  great  distinction.  The  extreme  left  of  the  Chi- 
nese line  lay  in  a  village  almost  due  east  of  the  sandhill.  It  was  held 
by  a  force  of  about  500  Tartar  cavalry.  As  Keilly  crossed  the  embank- 
ment this  cavalry  began  to  retire  on  the  next  village  north.  There  was 
a  great  opportunity  for  the  lancers  to  cut  them  off,  but  the  lancers 
didn't  know  it.  The  embankment  is  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and  the 
Kaolian  is  fully  that,  so  that  they  could  not  see  even  the  banners  the 
Tartars  carried.  Word  could  have  been  sent  to  them  from  the  hill, 
but  the  order  had  just  been  given  them  to  report  to  General  Chaffee 
to  serve  on  his  right  fiank  as  he  might  direct.  The  General  did  not  see 
the  Tartars,  and  when  the  lancers  reported  to  him  they  were  sent  in 
just  beyond  the  Ninth  and  the  extension  of  our  line. 

The  lancers  swung  forward  through  the  tall  Kaolian,  a  long,  dark 
line,  with  only  their  yellow  turbans  and  their  fiuttering  red  lance  pen- 
nants showing  above  the  green.  Their  skirmishers  were  well  out  ahead 
of  them.  Suddenly  there  was  a  puff  of  blue  smoke  far  above  the  long, 
dark  line.  Instantly  it  halted.  Another  puff,  and  then  a  third.  The 
Chinese  gunners  had  found  them  out. 

The  long  line  wheeled,  as  the  skirmishers  did,  and  back  through  the 
Kaolian  they  ran  as  hard  as  spurs  could  drive  their  horses.  General 
Chaffee,  standing  on  the  embankment  near  the  battery,  saw  it,  and  a 
word  to  Reilly  sent  half  a  dozen  shells  on  a  screaming  quest  for  the 
Chinese  guns.  Whether  they  found  out  the  enemy  or  not,  the  Chinese 
guns  ceased  firing,  and  that  was  the  last  seen  or  heard  of  them. 

All  this  time  the  center  was  doing  nothing  but  go  forward.    Its  turn 


376  "ON  TO  PEKING/' 

was  coming  now,  and  for  a  little  while  it  was  to  have  the  hottest  work 
of  the  fearfully  hot  day.  The  banners  in  the  cornfield  in  front  of  the 
village  had  disappeared  in  a  cloud  of  dust  to  the  northeast.  The  Rus- 
sians had  come  up  and  were  sending  a  long  column  in  on  the  left  to 
support  their  two  companies,  who  were  still  outside  the  village  where 
they  had  begun  the  day's  work.  One  of  their  field  batteries  went  in 
beside  the  Royal  artillery  fifteen-pounders. 

From  road  to  railroad  embankment  was  a  little  more  than  half  a 
mile.  The  Sikhs  and  Punjaubs  deployed  in  quincunx  formation,  which, 
against  the  carelessly  aimed  Chinese  fire,  seemed  to  the  civilian  ob- 
server on  the  sandhill  to  be  the  formation  most  likely  to  result  in  large 
casualties.  The  Fourteenth  started  in  line  of  squads,  a  formation  that 
surprised  General  Gaselee  immensely,  for  he  thought  it  was  the  way 
they  intended  to  fight.  But  as  they  drew  near  the  fighting  zone  they 
deployed  into  the  old  familiar  thin  brown  line,  a  far  better  formation 
than  that  of  their  neighbors  on  the  left. 

Sharply  distinct  from  the  scattering,  slithering  fire  of  the  British 
troops  were  the  crashing  volleys  of  the  Fourteenth.  Across  the  em- 
bankment, the  Ninth  and  the  marines  were  meeting  little  opposition, 
Reilly's  work  having  apparently  cleared  the  way  for  them.  As  they 
swung  off  to  the  east,  away  from  the  embankment,  a  V-shaped  gap 
opened  up  behind  our  right  and  center. 

It  was  along  the  left  of  this  V  that  the  Chinese  were  making  their 
stand,  and  the  Indians  and  the  Fourteenth  went  straight  against  them. 
There  the  best  event  of  the  day  happened,  and  the  honor  fell  to  the 
Americans.  The  Royal  artillery  and  the  Russian  battery  kept  up  a 
lively  fire  as  the  line  advanced,  the  Royal  artillery  against  the  embank- 
ment and  the  Russians  in  the  villages  about  the  station  and  bridge, 
ahead  of  their  own  men.  The  combination  of  their  own  shells  going 
over  their  heads,  the  Chinese  shells  coming  among  them,  and  the  heavy 
Chinese  rifle  fire  was  pretty  difficult  for  the  Indian  troops  to  stand.  The 
Chinese  ran  a  small  gun  well  down  the  embankment  and  began  a  lively 
and  very  well-directed  fire  with  it,  shooting  at  the  dust  our  line  kicked 
up,  for  the  khaki  uniforms  were  invisible  in  the  corn. 

As  the  advancing  line  drew  nearer  the  Chinese  and  the  fire  grew 
hotter,  the  Sikhs  and  Punjaubis  began  to  waver  and  show  signs  of 
having  enough.  They  were  not  suffering  unduly,  but  they  developed  a 
tendency  to  get  behind  the  grave  mounds  that  were  scattered  thickly 


"ON  TO  PEKING."  377 

through  the  fields  and  to  stay  there.  Colonel  Daggett  of  the  Fourteenth 
saw  that  if  the  embankment  were  to  be  taken  it  must  be  with  a  rush, 
and  that  was  the  time.  So  he  called  to  his  line,  and  with  the  old  Amer- 
ican yell  they  started  on  the  long-legged  double  that  covers  the  gi'ound 
so  fast. 

They  were  tired  by  the  long  march,  and  nearly  exhausted  by  the  fear- 
ful heat  in  the  tall  corn,  where  no  breath  of  moving  air  could  reach 
them,  but  at  the  word  they  sprang  forward  on  the  run.  The  British 
officers  saw  and  tried  to  follow  suit,  but  their  men  had  small  heart  for 
the  work.  Some  of  the  officers  themselves  were  in  the  forefront  of  it  all, 
but  when  the  line,  with  Colonel  Daggett  leading,  swept  out  of  the  corn 
and  up  the  embankment,  very  few  black  heads  and  yellow  turbans  were 
in  it.  The  embankment  was  won  and  the  Chinese  were  in  wild  retreat 
across  the  field  beyond  it.  Colonel  Daggett  ordered  his  blown,  tired 
men  to  lie  down  against  the  embankment  and  rest. 

The  Chinese  had  posted  some  guns  well  to  the  north  of  the  embank- 
ment, out  of  reach  of  our  artillery,  and  began  shelling  it  heavily  as  soon 
as  their  men  quit  it.  Colonel  Daggett  had  his  men  get  close  under  the 
embankment  to  take  cover  from  this  shelling.  The  line  had  gone  in 
without  carrying  colors.  The  Royal  Artillery  did  not  know  that  they 
had  reached  the  embankment,  and  pounded  away  with  their  fifteen- 
pounders,  making  excellent  practice.  Thus  our  line  was  between  two 
shell  fires. 

When  the  men  took  cover  on  the  near  side  of  the  embankment  ditch 
they  got  the  Chinese  shrapnel,  but  on  the  far  side  they  got  their  own, 
which  was  worse.  Twelve  fifteen-pounder  shrapnel  burst  among  men 
of  the  Fourteenth.  One  shell  struck  within  a  few  feet  of  Captain  Rey- 
nolds and  killed  three  men,  wounding  four.  Captain  Tillson  reported 
officially  that  three  shells  burst  among  his  company. 

The  men  had  taken  cover  in  a  Chinese  hut  with  some  of  the  Sikhs 
and  Welsh  fusileers.  The  Sikhs  ran  away  when  the  shells  began  to 
come  from  their  own  side,  but  the  fusileers  thought,  as  did  the  Amer- 
icans, that  under  such  circumstances  one  place  was  as  good  as  another. 

General  Chaffee  took  the  Ninth  the  marines,  and  the  battery  well 
over  to  the  east  in  a  wide  sweep  through  the  villages  of  the  inner  line 
that  brought  them  back  to  the  road  well  above  the  railroad  station  and 
in  the  rear  of  the  Chinese  first  position.  They  met  very  little  opposition, 
the  Chinese  making  but  one  show  of  standing  in  the  whole  day.     Over 


378  ''ON  TO  PEKING." 

they  came,  under  a  pretty  severe  cross  fire  for  a  few  minutes,  and  there, 
unluckily.  Lieutenant  Lang  was  wounded  for  the  third  time  in  his  war 
experience — once  in  the  Philippines  and  once  before  Tientsin.  When 
they  first  got  out  of  it  the  Ninth  were  certain  they  had  been  fired  at  by 
the  French,  but  in  point  of  fact  the  French  were  far  in  the  rear  all 
day  and  could  not  have  done  this  firing. 

The  Eussians  pushed  through  on  the  left  as  soon  as  Colonel  Dag- 
gett's charge  drove  back  the  Chinese  center.  Thereafter  they  advanced 
on  the  theoretical  plans  of  the  books,  shelling  each  village  and  clearing 
it  out  by  rifle  fire  as  they  advanced,  long  after  all  the  enemy  had  fled, 
but  early  enough  to  kill  many  of  the  old  men  and  coolie.noncombatants 
who  could  not  flee  or  had  not  desired  to  run  away.  Reilly,  pushed  his 
battery  far  forward  and  hurried  the  Chinese  retreat. 

And  now  the  pushing  little  Japanese  got  into  the  fight  by  rushing 
forward  their  batteries  to  advanced  positions.  Three  or  four  large  col- 
umns of  dust  moving  rapidly  off  to  the  north  and  eastward  showed 
where  the  Chinese  were  running.  Every  column  got  such  a  pounding 
from  Eeilly  or  the  Japanese  that  it  ran  all  the  harder.  The  fight  began 
about  10  o'clock.  Soon  after  4  the  last  of  the  columns  of  dust  disap- 
peared, and  the  day's  work  was  over. 

With  this  decisive  victory  the  opposition  virtually  ceased,  and  while 
skirmishes  were  frequent,  no  serious  conflicts  marked  the  advance  of 
the  allies  to  Peking's  walls.  On  August  8,  Nan  tsi-Niu,  twenty-seven 
miles  from  Tientsin,  was  reached,  where  the  enemy  was  repulsed  after 
a  brief  action.  August  11  found  the  army  at  Matow,  twenty  miles  from 
Peking;  on  the  following  day  they  occupied  Tung  Chow,  ten  miles 
nearer  the  goal.  On  the  13th,  the  Ninth  Japanese  Brigade  moved  from 
the  last-named  place,  with  the  Eleventh  Regiment  in  the  van,  and  the 
armies  of  the  great  Western  powers  marched  close  behind  the  soldiers 
of  the  island  empire.  Four  hours  after  the  start  Ta  Wa  Chang  was 
reached,  and  scouts  sent  out.  As  they  approached  the  walls  of  Peking 
they  drew  the  fire  of  the  Chinese,  and  the  siege  of  the  city  was  begun, 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 
THE   SIEGE   AND   SACK   OF   PEKING. 

Relief  at  Last— Plan  of  the  Attack  on  the  City— Bad  Faith  Charged  Against  Russians- 
First  Entrance  Into  the  City— Fighting  at  the  Gates— Work  of  the  Americans— Japan- 
ese Brarery  Admired— Feats  of  Daring— At  the  British  Legation— Besieged  and  Res- 
cuers Meet— Scenes  of  Rejoicing — Peking  in  the  Hands  of  the  Allied  Armies. 

FROM  the  beginning  of  the  march  of  the  allied  armies,  there  never- 
was  any  doubt  of  their  ultimate  capture  of  the  Chinese  capital. 
Triumphal  progress  was  the  rule,  the  natural  difficulties  of  the 
country  and  the  climate  proving  far  greater  obstacles  than  the 
Chinese  armies  themselves.  Finally  the  rescuing  force  reached  the 
vicinity  of  Peking  and  on  the  fifteenth  of  August  entered  the  mysterious 
city  and  brought  joy  and  safety  to  the  long-suffering  captives  in  the 
British  legation. 

Fortunate  indeed  is  the  historian  of  to-day  in  the  material  placed 
at  his  hands.  The  brilliant  accounts  of  the  taking  of  Peking  and  the 
events  that  followed,  penned  by  the  correspondents  who  accompanied 
the  armies,  afford  graphic  pictures  of  the  scenes  of  great  interest  to 
every  reader.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  acknowledge  here  the  service  rendered 
by  these  warriors  of  the  pen  who  undergo  all  the  hardships  of  the  cam- 
paign in  order  to  inform  an  anxious  w^orld  of  what  is  going  on.  From 
some  of  these  are  obtained  the  descriptions  which  follow,  clear  and 
satisfying  as  none  but  the  account  of  an  eye-witness  could  be.  The 
detailed  account  of  the  taking  of  the  city  which  follows  here  throws 
light  on  many  of  the  former  obscurities  in  reports  that  came  from 
Peking.     Says  the  writer  from  the  scene  of  conflict: 

"By  this  time  the  ncAvs  is  abroad  in  the  world  that  the  beleaguered 
legations  have  been  relieved  and  the  people  in  them  are  safe.  Here 
in  the  city  those  of  us  who  came  Avith  the  relief  are  as  perplexed  by  the 
amazing  contradictions  as  are  those  who  have  endured  it  all  inside  the 
barricades.  The  combination  of  savagery  and  simplicity  displayed  by 
the  Chinese  is  astounding.  Now  that  it  is  over,  and  we  have  oppor- 
tunity to  take  stock  of  Chinese  resources,  it  is  inconceivable  almost  that 
they  ever  really  were  determined  to  destroy  the  legations,  and  yet  from 

379 


3S0  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

the  barbarity  and  ferocity  of  their  attacks  and  their  tactics  it  is  incon- 
ceivable that  they  had  any  desire  except  the  complete  extinction  of  the 
foreigners.  Men  like  Pethick  and  Hart,  who  have  devoted  their  lives 
to  the  service  of  the  Chinese,  do  not  pretend  to  understand,  and  say  that 
by  and  by,  perhaps,  the  explanation  will  be  forthcoming. 

"The  suspicion  of  the  good  faith  of  the  Russians  which  has  been  in 
the  minds  of  every  one  ever  since  their  actions  at  Tientsin  in  early  July 
was  justified  at  the  last.  They  broke  faith,  simply  and  directly,  with- 
out any  attempt  at  explanation,  just  because  there  seemed  for  a  time 
to  be  a  chance  for  them  to  get  through  into  the  city,  and  so  be  the  first 
to  rdieve  the  legations,  and  get  the  Russian  flag  hoisted  over  anything 
good  there  might  be  in  the  way  of  property  waiting  to  be  seized.  It 
resulted  in  the  relief  of  the  legations  a  day  sooner  than  had  been 
I)lanned,  and  in  so  far  was  a  good  thing.  Also  it  exposed  clearly  the 
worthlessness  of  Russian  promises. 

"The  plan  agreed  upon  by  the  commanding  officers  in  their  con- 
ference at  Tung-Chau  on  the  afternoon  of  the  twelfth  of  August  pro- 
vided for  reconnoissances  in  force  on  four  roads  toward  Peking  on  the 
thirteenth.  Camp  was  to  be  made  by  each  force  about  seven  miles  from 
Tung-Chau  and  contact  established  with  the  other  forces.  There  was 
also  to  be  the  regular  reconnoissance  work  for  the  protection  of  each 
front.  The  next  day,  the  fourteenth,  the  entire  forces  were  to  be  con- 
centrated along  the  line  of  these  camps  and  reconnoissances  were  to  be 
sent  out  about  the  city,  probably  even  circling  it.  It  was  expected  that 
there  would  be  a  hard  fight  before  we  could  get  in.  On  Wednesday,  the 
fifteenth,  at  daylight,  the  general  attack  was  to  be  made  on  the  gates 
of  the  east  wall. 

"It  was  the  afternoon  reconnoissance  on  the  thirteenth  that  de- 
veloped the  Russian  trick.  As  soon  as  their  camp  was  established  they 
moved  on  forward  with  nearly  all  their  infantry,  all  their  Cossacks  and 
their  battery.  It  happened  that  they  went  almost  up  to  the  wall  of  the 
city.  Just  exactly  what  occurred  probably  never  will  be  known,  for  it 
happened  that  there  was  no  correspondent  with  the  Russians  that 
afternoon,  and  by  the  time  two  or  three  of  us  got  around  to  them  the 
next  morning  so  much  had  occurred  that  the  Russians  had  plenty  of 
stories  to  tell.  They  tell  a  very  smooth  story  of  that  afternoon.  They 
say  that  they  went  forward,  meeting  no  opposition,  until  they  were  in 
easy  view  of  the  wall,  and  they  could  see  no  Chinese  prepared  to  defend 


TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  381 

the  gate  or  the  wall.  They  went  to  within  less  than  a  hundred  yards  of 
the  wall  and  drew  no  fire,  and  concluded  that  the  Chinese  had  been 
so  badly  chased  on  the  march  up  that  they  had  run  away  from  Peking 
also  and  meant  to  make  no  fight  there. 

"On  the  strength  of  having  such  an  excellent  opportunity  Major- 
General  Vasselievski  concluded  to  forget  all  about  the  agreement  with 
the  other  forces  for  a  joint  attack  and  to  go  in  on  his  own  hook  in  the 
hope  of  getting  in  at  once.  Accordingly,  about  midnight,  he  opened  on 
the  gate,  the  Tung-pien,  and  after  half  an  hour  or  so  succeeded  in  blow- 
ing it  open.  The  inner  gate  was  badly  damaged,  but  that  required 
some  further  effort  before  it,  too,  yielded.  Once  inside  the  gates  the 
Russians  met  almost  no  opposition,  and  went  quite  unmolested  about 
killing  the  Chinese  they  found  asleep  in  the  buildings.  There  had  been 
only  a  few  soldiers  on  the  Tung-pien-mun,  and  no  re-enforcements 
seemed  to  have  come  up  for  them  from  anywhere.  After  a  few  minutes 
General  Vasselievski  concluded  that  the  work  was  so  easy  that  they 
could  go  on  at  once  to  the  Ha-ta-mun,  and  so  into  the  Tartar  city  and  to 
the  legations.  The  battery  limbered  up,  and  when  all  was  ready,  up  the 
street  they  started  as  fast  as  they  could  go,  horse,  foot  and  artillery. 

"That  turned  out  to  be  what  the  Chinese  were  waiting  for.  They 
were  ready  on  the  big  wall  above  the  Tung-pien-mun  and  as  soon  as  the 
Russians  came  in  range  opened  on  them  with  a  terrific  fire.  Ten  of  the 
eighteen  battery  horses  were  hit  at  the  first  volley,  and  before  the 
driver^  and  cannoneers  could  get  them  down  from  the  road  under  cover 
of  the  bank,  four  others  got  it.  Half  the  battery  men  were  lost,  and  in 
the  infantry  it  seemed  as  if  everybody  was  hit.  General  Vasselievski 
was  severely  hit  through  the  shoulder  and  three  men  were  killed,  one 
after  the  other,  trying  to  help  him  to  cover.  The  Russians  simply  could 
not  stand  such  a  fire  with  so  small  a  force  to  meet  it  and  were  compelled 
to  retreat. 

"It  happened  that  Chaffee  had  ordered  the  Ninth  United  States  reg- 
ulars and  the  marines  to  move  out  to  the  camp  that  afternoon,  so  that 
Monday  night  he  had  all  his  force  together.  The  Russians  were  com- 
ing out  pretty  much  all  day,  but  the  British  and  many  of  the  Japanese 
did  not  start  until  Tuesday  morning.  This  gave  the  British  about  their 
hardest  day's  marching  before  it  was  through.  Early  on  Tuesday  morn- 
ing, the  fourteenth,  according  to  the  general  plan  for  the  day's  work, 


382  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

Chaffee  sent  bis  troop  of  cavalry  forward  to  scout  along  the  road  to 
Peking,  over  which  he  was  to  advance. 

"When  the  cavalry  went  out  at  5  o'clock  I  went  along  to  get  a  look 
at  the  Peking  road.  The  Russians  were  then  moving  forward  some  of 
their  troops  on  the  road  just  north  of  the  canal,  and  the  French,  who 
had  been  assigned  to  the  same  road  as  the  Russians,  were  on  cwir  road, 
having  made  a  mistake.  They  were  straggling  along,  and  just  after  we 
had  started  one  of  General  Chaffee's  staff  came  out  to  tell  them  to  get 
across  the  canal  to  their  own  side. 

"The  cavalry  went  about  three  miles  toward  Peking  when  the  flank- 
ers on  the  souih  w^ere  fired  on.  Lieutenant  Giney,  w^ith  six  troopers, 
went  up  to  see  what  it  was  about.  The  road  here  was  cut  very  deep 
with  a  high  bank  on  the  south  and  a  village  on  the  north,  just  on  the 
edge  of  the  canal.  Giney  and  his  men  ran  bang  onto  a  trench  full  of 
infantry,  and  the  troop  was  dismounted  and  sent  up  to  the  top  of  the 
bank,  with  about  fifteen  Frenchmen,  who  had  straggled  up,  and  we 
opened  fire.  Immediately  there  was  a  response,  very  much  heavier 
than  our  own  fire,  and  it  was  evident  that  there  was  a  considerable  force 
of  the  Chinese.  The  firing  had  been  going  on  for  only  a  few  minutes 
when  a  lively  fire  started  from  across  the  canal.  This  took  us  right  in 
the  small  of  the  back,  as  it  were,  and  Captain  Cabell  announced  that  he 
^vas  going  back.  We  thought  then  that  this  cross-fire  was  from  another 
Chinese  force,  but  it  developed  afterward  that  it  was  from  Russians 
who  were  coming  up  on  that  side,  and  came  under  the  high  over-fire  of 
the  Chinese  directed  at  us  on  the  bank.    Of  course  they  answered. 

"We  got  out  and  we'  went  pretty  quickly  for  a  short  distance.  The 
missionary  who  had  gone  along  as  a  guide  kept  going  until  he  got  back 
to  camp  and  reported  to  Cha/fee  that  the  reconnoissance  was  cut  off  and 
in  a  very  desperate  position.  That  made  Chaffee  sen4  everything  he 
had  out  on  the  road  as  fast  as  it  could  go,  and  the  result  was  that  by  a 
little  after  6  o'clock  the  whole  American  force,  which  had  expected  to 
remain  quietly  in  camp  for  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  was  in  motion 
as  fast  as  it  could  go  toward  Peking. 

"When  the  Russians  made  their  attack  on  the  Tung-pien-mun  and 
got  in,  as  they  say,  they  sent  a  messenger  to  notify  the  Japanese  that 
they  were  attacking  the  city  and  had  taken  a  portion  of  the  wall.  The 
messenger  did  not  reach  Generals  Yamaguchi  and  Fukushima  until 
some  time  after  daylight.    They  at  once  began  to  make  their  disposi- 


THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  383 

tions  for  their  own  attack  and  sent  word  to  the  Americans  and  British 
of  what  was  going  on.  The  Japanese  move  very  rapidly  and  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time  they  had  sent  two  battalions  of  infantry  down  the 
road  in  front  of  the  Chi-hua-mun,  which  is  the  southern  and  bigger  of 
the  two  gates  in  the  east  wall  of  the  Tartar  city.  A  company  of  en- 
gineers equipped  with  guncotton  went  along  to  blow  in  the  gate  as 
soon  as  they  could  get  near  it.  The  Chinese  made  a  stubborn  resistance. 
Tliey  had  established  camps  all  along  the  wall  on  each  side  of  the  gate 
and  were  there  in  great  numbers. 

"Meantime,  of  course,  the  work  of  posting  the  Japanese  artillery  had 
been  going  on  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Along  the  edge  of  a  bluff  in  the 
arc  of  a  great  circle  the  Japanese  planted  their  fifty-fo-ur  guns,  and  then 
for  three  hours  there  was  such  music  as  the  people  in  Peking  had  not 
heard  before.  One  of  the  correspondents  down  in  the  street  with  the 
advance  guard  counted  twenty  shells  that  hit  the  gate  in  one  minute. 
Still  the  Chinese  hung  on  and  whenever  the  shelling  would  slacken  to 
give  the  infantry  a  chance  to  get  at  the  gate  the  defenders  would  return 
to  their  loopholes  and  pour  in  as  hot  a  fire  as  ever.  They  were  using 
apparently  all  kinds  of  rifles  and  gingals,  the  oldest  and  worst  as  well 
as  the  newest  and  best.  The  Japanese  were  suffering  a  great  many 
casualties,  but  they  never  seemed  to  mind  that,  and  certainly  did  not 
let  it  interfere  with  their  plans.  General  Yamaguchi  decided  to  stick  to 
it  all  day  and  blow  up  the  gate  at  night  if  he  couldn't  do  it  before,  and 
before  noon  the  Japanese  situation  had  settled  down  to  the  old  one  of 
wait. 

"It  happened  that  the  misinformation  abowt  the  reconnoissance  got 
to  General  Chaffee  some  time  before  the  neRVS  of  the  Russians'  action,  so 
that  the  Americans  were  ready  to  act  instantly  on  the  news  and  go  in 
with  their  attack  at  once.  Colonel  Daggett,  with  two  companies  of  the 
Fourteenth,  pushed  straight  forward  to  the  wall,  and  the  rest  of  the 
regiment,  the  Ninth,  and  the  marines  followed  more  slowly.  The' Rus- 
sians finally  got  into  their  gate  just  before  11  o'clock  and  hoisted  their 
flag  above  it.  A  few  minutes  later  the  stars  and  stripies,  the  colors  of 
the  Fourteenth  United  States  infantry,  went  up  on  the  wall  where  our 
men  had  climbed  up  by  their  hands. 

"The  Americans  were  inside  the  city  with  their  flag  on  the  wall  and 
were  feeling  very  good  by  11  o'clock.  All  we  wanted  now  was  some  one 
to  tell  us  where  the  legations  were  and  we  would  go  straight  and  relieve 


384  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

them.  Noon  found  us  in  the  same  position.  Some  more  of  the  Four- 
teenth had  come  up  and  had  forced  themselves  through  the  Tung-pien- 
mun  by  the  Russian  battery.  There  seemed  a  good  chance  for  a  row 
with  the  Russians  when  our  men  forced  their  battery  aside  so  as  to 
pass,  but  it  all  blew  off  in  bad  looks  and  language  on  each  side  which 
the  other  did  not  understand.  Finally  we  got  past,  and  then  our 
entire  force  came  in. 

"But  long  before  that  the  Indian  troops  had  entered  the  sluice  gate 
under  the  Tartar  wall  and  marched  into  the  British  legation,  and 
Peking  was  relieved.  It  was  very  disappointing  after  we  had  marched 
so  hard  and  had  such  a  good  chance  to  get  in  first  to  lose  it  in  that  way. 
When  I  asked  a  major  on  the  staff  why  we  were  waiting  he  replied  that 
he  didn't  know,  he  supposed  we  were  going  into  camp. 

"Of  course  there  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement  when  the  first  of  the 
troops  reached  the  legations.  The  night  had  been  a  desperately  hard 
one  for  the  besieged.  It  seemed  as  if  the  Chinese  realized  that  their 
chance  was  almost  gone  and  they  must  make  the  utmost  of  the  little 
time  remaining.  They  blazed  away  with  everything  they  had  and  kept 
it  up  incessantly.  But  through  it  all  the  foreigners  heard  the  note 
of  the  Russian  Maxims  outside  the  Tung-pien-mun  and  knew  that  the 
relief  column  was  close  at  hand.  So  they  were  willing  to  use  their 
ammunition  a  little  more  freely  and  there  was  a  pitched  battle  all  night. 
In  the  morning  when  they  heard  the  heavy  firing  of  the  Japanese 
there  was  great  rejoicing.  It  was  the  old,  old  sound  of  cannon,  but 
there  was  a  new  note  in  it  that  made  it  very  welcome.  The  men  work- 
ing on  the  barricades  with  the  Chinese  converts  would  stop  now  and 
then  and  ask  the  Chinese  how  they  liked  that  sound.  It  put  new  life 
even  into  these  converts  and  they  worked  cheerfully,  getting  the  night 
damage  repaired,  for  it  was  hardly  expected  that  we  should  get  in  that 
day,  and  they  were  making  ready  for  yet  another  night  of  it. 

"Finally  a  man  came  down  from  the  wall  and  said  he  had  seen  a 
European  on  a  house  trying  to  signal  to  the  wall.  Soon  after  the  first  of 
the  Sikhs  came  along  and  then  there  was  a  great  turning  out.  All  the 
morning  every  one  who  could  get  permission  had  been  up  on  the  wall 
watching  the  bombardment  of  the  Chi-hua-mun.  Now  they  swarmed 
down  into  the  street  of  the  canal  and  waited  for  the  troops.  The  Chi- 
nese converts  flocked  out  of  their  houses  along  the  street  and  filled  the 
bridges  over  the  canal. 


THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  385 

"Somehow  I  had  expected  a  somewhat  tearful  time,  but  there  was 
none  of  it.  The  only  tears  I  saw  were  shed  by  a  man  who  had  gone  into 
the  hospital  to  see  a  friend  and  found  him  so  ill  and  weak,  after  having 
made  a  splendid  record  for  himself  in  the  early  part  of  the  trouble,  that 
he  could  not  speak  and  could  hardly  shut  his  fingers  on  his  friend's. 
That  man  went  out  into  the  yard  and  stood  up  under  a  tree  and  cried. 

"The  common  salutation  to  a  white  man  seemed  to  be,  'We're  glad  to 
see  you,'  and  the  almost  invariable  answer  was,  'We're  mighty  glad  to 
get  here.'    And  that  had  a  twofold  fervor. 

"A  small  party  of  American  marines  went  down  to  the  Chen-mun, 
the  big  center  gate  in  the  Tartar  wall  on  the  south  side,  and  chased  the 
Chinese  away  from  it.  They  went  along  the  wall  from  the  part  that  had 
been  held  by  the  foreign  guards  just  south  of  the  legations.  Soon  after- 
ward the  Russians  came  up  with  a  battery  and  blew  in  the  gate,  which 
had  been  shut  by  the  Chinese.  That  opened  an  easy  way  of  getting  out 
to  the  south  part  of  the  city.  The  sun  went  down  with  continuous 
firing  still  going  on  all  around  and  bullets  dropping  in  the  legation 
grounds  very  frequently.  Yet  the  relief  had  come  and  no  one  seemed 
to  care  in  the  least  what  more  the  Chinese  tried  to  do. 

"Everybody  went  straight  to  his  own  kind — British  to  British, 
American  to  American,  Russian  to  Russian,  and  so  on.  The  ministers 
were  bustling  about  as  busy  as  they  ever  had  been  in  their  lives,  con- 
sulting with  the  generals  and  trying  to  answer  a  hundred  different  ques- 
tions in  a  minute.  The  women  grew  steadily  more  cheerful,  and  before 
the  evening  was  over  one  young  woman  who  had  been  visiting  in  the 
American  legation  when  the  trouble  began  had  reached  the  conclusion 
that  after  all  she  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  worlds. 

"Naturally,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  confusion  that  first  evening. 
Most  of  the  British  troops  were  marched  into  the  British  legation 
grounds,  apparently  with  the  expectation  of  camping  there,  a  very 
unsatisfactory  place.  They  finally  went  through  the  wall  into  the  im- 
perial carriage  park,  which  adjoins  the  legation  grounds,  and  found  an 
excellent  place.  The  Americans  were  all  paraded  through  the  British 
legation  also,  and  then  there  was  considerable  difficulty  in  finding  a 
camping  ground  for  them.  A  miserable  place  was  chosen  finally,  sim- 
ply because  it  had  got  so  late  that  something  must  be  done.  It  was  in 
the  mud  just  outside  the  Tartar  wall,  with  all  the  filth  and  slime  of 


386  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

the  Chinese  city  next  to  them.  There  they  camped,  however,  and  to 
help  things  along  for  them  it  rained  nearly  all  night  steadily. 

"Next  morning,  August  15,  we  started  off  bright  and  early  to  do 
great  things.  The  Americans  were  going  into  the  Forbidden  city. 
Chaffee  had  asked  the  Russians  if  they  wanted  to  join,  but  they  did  not, 
so  the  Americans  were  going  alone.  The  operations  were  to  begin  from 
the  Chen-mun  at  6  o'clock.  It  was  still  drizzling  and  disagreeable  when 
Keilly  took  his  guns  up  the  steep  rampart  to  the  top  of  the  huge  gate 
and  posted  two  of  them  to  range  along  the  Tartar  wall  to  the  west, 
toward  the  Shun-chih-mun,  where  many  banners  were  still  flying.  All 
along  the  wall  there  were  the  tents  of  the  Chinese  soldierfe.  Boxers 
or  imperial  troops,  or  what  not,  there  must  have  been  thousands  of 
them.  Every- where  the  wall  was  covered  with  their  tents  and  banners. 
Far  to  the  westward  from  the  Chen-mun,  near  the  Shun-chih-mun,  we 
could  see  Chinese  moving  about  on  the  wall.  Reilly  sent  a  few  shells 
down  there,  but  for  some  time  evoked  no  response.  Then  from  the 
bastion  of  the  Shun-chih-mun  there  rose  several  small  puffs  of  blue 
smoke.  No  report  of  the  gnn  ever  reached  us^  nor  was  thjere  an  indi- 
cation as  to  the  character  of  the  weapon  the  Chinese  had  fired.  Cer- 
tainly no  shell  or  bullet  ranged  near  the  Chen-mun  at  that  time. 

"Meantime  the  troops  had  come  up  for  the  attack.  They  were  a 
part  of  the  Fourteenth,  under  Colonel  Daggett,  and  so-me  of  the  marines, 
under  Major  Waller.  The  Russians  had  finally  concluded  that  they 
wanted  to  be  in  the  movement,  so  they  sent  about  half  a  company  under 
a  subordinate  officer.  The  Japanese  had  plans  of  their  own,  which  had 
not  been  reckoned  with.  They  were  trying  to  protect  the  Purple  city 
and  establish  communication  with  some  one  there  who  might  be  made 
to  represent  the  Chinese  government,  so  as  to  open  the  way  for  begin- 
ning negotiations  for  the  settlement.  They  had  finally  blown  in  the 
Chi-hua  gate  at  10  o'clock  the  night  before  and  cleared  the  wall  on  both 
sides  of  it  of  all  the  Chinese.  Now  they  were  sending  a  battalion  of 
infantry  to  each  of  the  main  gates  of  the  Imperial  city  to  guard  them 
and,  if  possible,  prevent  any  violation  of  the  palace.  It  was  apparent 
that  Chaffee  was  not  aware  of  this  plan  or  had  not  agreed  with  it,  for 
when  he  was  ready  he  went  straight  at  the  Forbidden  city  with  an 
energy  and  directness  that  cheered  the  hearts  of  his  men  and  of  the 
score  or  more  of  besieged  ones  who  were  out  to  see  the  beginning  of 
the  retribution. 


TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  387 

"Reilly  got  two  of  his  guns  posted  on  the  north  side  of  the  Chen-mun 
wall  and  tried  to  hammer  the  corners  of  the  defended  gate.  It  was  very 
difficult  shooting,  requiring  great  care  and  accuracy,  but  two  or  three 
shells  had  been  sent  well  home  when  Eeilly  was  killed.  He  was  stand- 
ing by  a  post  talking  to  one  of  the  buglers  when  he  was  hit  directly  in 
the  mouth  by  a  heavy  lead  slug,  almost  like  one  of  the  old-fashioned 
miuie  balls  of  civil  war  days.  He  sank  down  and  died,  practically 
without  a  word,  and  the  army  had  lost  one  of  the  best  men  it  ever  had. 
The  body  was  taken  inside  the  tower  over  the  gate  and  covered  with 
the  flag  until  it  could  be  more  properly  cared  for.  The  news  of  his 
death  was  received  with  profoundest  regret  by  every  one  who  had 
known  him. 

"Meantime  the  action  was  going  on.  Two  guns  were  taken  down  in 
fno-nt  of  the  Chen-mun  and  advanced  under  cover  of  the  ^go  around.' 
The  one  gatling  gun  that  had  been  dragged  up  so  laboriously  by  a  de- 
tachment of  Sixth  cavalry  men  also  went  up  against  this  gate.  Part  of 
the  Fourteeenth  were  held  in  readiness  to  go  through  when  the  gates 
were  opened,  and  some  of  the  Ninth  were  ready  to  support  them.  The 
opening  of  the  gate  was  very  simple,  and  it  was  quickly  and  beautifully 
done.  One  of  the  guns  was  run  up  to  within  eight  feet  of  the  gate  and 
aimed  squarely  at  the  big  bolt  and  the  crossbar.  The  first  shot  told, 
and  the  second  gave  the  result;  the  lock  was  smashed  off,  and  the  bar 
blown  down,  so  that  it  was  only  necessary  to  push  the  gates  apart. 

"When  the  gates  were  open  our  men  went  through.  They  advanced 
very  cautiously,  deployed  at  wide  intervals,  but  there  was  absolutely 
no  cover,  and  they  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  Chinese.  There  were  some 
flimsy  buildings  along  the  side  walls  of  the  inclosure,  but  they  afforded 
no  shelter  whatever,  and  the  men  simply  crawled  on  their  bellies  over 
the  stones  through  the  grass  a  foot  or  more  tall,  that  gave  them  their 
only  concealment.  It  was  about  three  hundred  yards  to  the  gate.  The 
Chinese  waited  until  our  men  were  where  they  wanted  us,  and  then 
opened  a  terrible  fire.  It  was  absolutely  out  of  the  question  for  the 
men  on  the  ground  to  rfeply  with  any  efficiency  to  this  plunging  fire,  and 
Uie  two  guns  began  to  shell  the  parapet  of  the  gate  with  great  vigor. 
They  landed  some  beautiful  shots,  and  several  times  it  seemed  as  if 
they  must  have  cleaned  the  place  out,  but  always  the  Chinese  came  back 
at  it,  firing  gingals  and  other  larg^  guns  that  used  black  powder. 

"More  marines  were  sent  out  on  the  wall  by  the  Cben-niun  to  help 


388  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OP  PEKING. 

keep  down  the  fire,  and  some  of  the  infantrymen  scrambled  up  on  top  of 
the  wall  by  the  'go  around'  and  got  pretty  good  shooting.  But  it  was 
too  expensive  a  position  to  be  held,  and  the  Fourteenth  were  recalled, 
having  lost  five  killed  and  a  dozen  or  more  wounded.  Then  the  guns 
turned  to  in  dead  earnest,  and  shelled  the  gate  until  there  was  no  more 
sight  or  sound  of  Chinese  there.  Then  we  went  across,  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously, and  found  the  gate  deserted. 

"Not  only  were  we  going  into  the  Purple  city,  but  we  were  going  up 
the  middle  of  the  road,  taking  the  center  arch,  that  is  reserved  for  the 
emperor  alone.  The  Pekingese  said  they  had  not  thought  they  would 
live  to  see  that.  As  soon  as  the  gates  were  pushed  apart  two  companies 
were  sent  through  to  the  other  side  to  look  around.  Each  company  at 
once  went  over  to  the  ramp  at  the  end  of  the  gate  and  climbed  to  the 
top.  It  was  a  very  stiff  climb,  and  each  ramp  was  streaked  with  the 
blood  of  Chinese  who  had  been  defending  there.  On  top  there  were  half 
a  dozen  bodies,  and  it  made  us  wonder  how  they  could  have  made  so 
stubborn  a  fight  against  our  superb  shell  fire.  Most  of  the  Chinese 
seemed  to  have  been  armed  with  gingals.  While  the  men  were  walking 
about  the  top  of  this  gate  the  Chinese  on  the  next  one  opened  a  lively 
fire  on  them.  General  Chaffee  had  come  up  on  top  of  the  gateway,  and 
he  took  personal  charge  of  the  direction  of  the  firing.  We  gave  it  to 
them  very  sharp  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  it  was  ended  and  we  went 
down  m\d  strolled  through  the  courtyards  up  to  the  next  gate. 

"This  second  gate  was  just  like  the  rest  in  general  size  and  appear- 
ance. The  gun  was  run  up  in  front  of  the  center  arch,  and  in  the  purely 
impersonal  fashion  to  which  he  had  been  getting  accustomed,  the  gun- 
ner put  in  two  shells  that  did  their  work  and  made  the  gates  ready  to 
be  pushed  apart.  Here  the  Chinese  gave  us  a  lively  surprise.  The  gates 
had  been  opened,  and  the  whole  column  was  moving  through  as  coolly 
as  if  on  parade  when,  Avith  about  half  a  company  out  in  the  open  be- 
yond and  a  colonel  and  lieutenant  colonel  bunched  up  with  the  general 
right  in  the  arch,  they  sent  a  very  sharp  fire  through  it. 

"For  a.  second  there  was  some  confusion.  The  first  impulse  of  some 
of  the  men  farthest  in  the  rear  was  to  get  ahead  where  they  could  get 
into  it,  but  the  order  was  for  those  at  the  head  to  retire  except  those  far 
enough  forward  to  get  out  of  the  arch  and  take  cover  under  the  ramps 
at  the  ends  of  the  gate.  Finally,  just  as  the  men  were  nearly  all  clear 
of  the  arch,  one  fellow  was  hit  and  fell  just  at  the  far  side.    One  of  the 


THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  ;389 

trumpeters  of  the  Fourteenth  happened  to  be  near  him  and  started  to 
help  him  through,  but  got  one  of  those  minie  slugs  in  the  right  hip  for  it. 
As  soon  as  he  got  out  and  the  other  man  was  removed,  the  two  guns 
were  brought  up,  and  working  diagonally  through  the  long  arch,  they 
shelled  the  ends  of  the  gate  ahead  with  tremendous  effect.  Once  a  shell 
burst  squarely  in  the  spot  where  there  had  just  been  very  sharp  firing. 
After  that  the  firing  slackened  off  very  greatly,  and  it  certainly  seemed 
as  if  that  shell  had  done  its  work. 

"It  was  the  last  burst  of  the  fighting.  Before  the  shelling  had  fin- 
ished, Chaffee  had  given  orders  that  we  were  not  to  go  beyond  the  next 
gate  in  any  event,  and  having  now  apparently  chased  the  defenders 
away  from  it,  our  work  was  ended>  and  we  could  go  into  camp  some- 
where about  where  we  were.  To  soldiers  and  civilians  alike  the  de- 
cision to  stop  was  a  bitter  blow.  No  one  pretended  to  understantl  it, 
and  the  only  explanation  that  had  any  credence  was  that  Chaffee  had 
gone  farther  than  the  other  powers  thought  he  should,  and  they  had 
stopped  him.  The  troops  sat  about  their  camp  in  the  gates  of  the  Pur- 
ple city  and  growled  because  they  were  not  sent  straight  through  the 
palace  itself.  Here  they  were  where  no  white  men  had  ever  beeji 
before.  That  was  true;  but,  after  all,  this  was  not  the  palace;  it  was 
only  the  courtyard  at  the  outer  gates,  and  now  we  had  taken  the  last 
of  the  gates  and  had  only  to  push  open  two  more  big  doors  to  be  at 
the  very  heart's  heart  of  desire. 

"Then  at  5  o'clock  Chaffee  came  back  and  said  it  had  been  decided 
to  withdraw  from  our  position  and  camp  outside  the  wall  again  where 
we  did  last  night.  That  was  a  sickener.  It  was  nearly  dark,  and  we 
were  settled  down.  To  get  out  and  move  back  to  that  vile  camp  in  the 
filth  of  the  Chinese  city  was  hard  to  take.  But  back  we  went.  Chaffee 
said  we  had  punished  the  Chinese  sufficiently  in  the  occupation  of  their 
gates  for  the  day.  It  had  been  a  military  necessity  to  take  them  be- 
cause the  Chinese  had  been  sniping  from  them  into  the  legation  grounds, 
but  now  that  it  had  been  done,  it  did  not  seem  likely  that  there  would 
be  any  recurrence  of  the  sniping,  and  the  movement  was  deemed  to  have 
been  completed. 

"Thus  the  Americans  put  in  the  whole  day  at  hard  and  costly  work 
for  nothing.  The  British  stayed  in  their  camp  in  the  carriage  park 
and  rested,  except  such  detachments  of  them  as  went  out  early  after 
any  specially  choice  plants  of  loot.    The  Russians  seemed  to  spend  the 


390  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

entire  day  in  recovering  from  the  effects  of  their  fight  for  the  Tung- 
pien-mun.  Late  in  the  evening  they  were  wandering  about  in  the 
streets  with  their  dead  and  wounded  as  if  still  uncertain  where  to  go. 
That  was  after  we  had  had  a  jam  in  the  Chen-mun  with  a  column  of 
them  as  we  were  coming  out  of  the  Forbidden  city  which  nearly  led  to 
a  pretty  row.  The  Japanese,  always  busy,  had  planned  to  camp  their 
men  outside  the  Tartar  city.  Fukushima  said  it  was  better  and  health- 
ier for  them  out  there,  and  more  easy  to  handle  them. 

"For  the  besieged  it  was  a  great  day.  Those  of  them  who  had  gone 
with  the  American  column  into  the  Forbidden  city  were  filled  with 
astonishment  of  the  thing,  having  walked  through  four  of  the  emperor's 
own  gates  by  his  own  royal  central  arch.  Others  had  been  going  about 
among  their  friends  and  taking  stock  of  themselves  all  over  again,  as 
it  were.  Td  the  women'  and  children  it  was  the  first  opportunity  to  get 
about  their  own  lines  and  see  what  sort  of  defense  had  been  made  for 
them.  To  the  outsider  who  had  come  in  with  the  relief  the  story  of  the 
siege  was  like  the  line  of  barricades  about  the  streets  and  yards — an 
inextricable  confusion  that  it  sometimes  seemed  would  require  months 
to  straighten  out.    . 

"Barricades  filled  every  corner  and  thrust  themselves  across  straight 
streets  with  astonishing  frequency.  It  was  impossible  to  tell  where 
they  led.  One  simply  trusted  to  luck  and  the  knowledge  that  he  started 
in  the  legations  to  have  the  barricades  keep  him  there.  They  were 
built  for  the  most  part  of  heavy  brick,  such  as  are  used  in  the  buildings 
which  had  been  destroyed  about  where  they  were  erected.  On  the 
wall  and  the  ramp  leading  up  to  it  the  barricades  were  built  of  the  huge 
bricks  used  by  the  Chinese  in  covering  the  top  of  the  wall.  They  are 
two  feet  long  by  eight  inches  wide  and  four  thick.  The  many-colored 
sandbags  added  greatly  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  barricades. 
In  the  beginning  these  had  been  used  much  more  than  at  the 
end,  when  the  work  was  done  almost  entirely  with  the  bricks.  That 
was  not  because  the  sandbags  were  not  better,  but  there  were  no  more 
bags.  The  ladies  of  the  legations  had  used  up  all  the  material  in  their 
possession  in  making  bags.  Some  of  it  was  brocaded  silk  worth  dollars 
a  yard.  Their  petticoats  and  curtains  and  all  the  finery  they  could 
spare  they  put  to  the  good  cause.  It  was  a  bright  lot  of  sandbags  that 
fronted  the  Chinese  after  that. 

"All  the  porches  of  the  buildings  in  the  British  legation  were  bar- 


TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  391 

ricaded  with  these  bags,  because  it  was  necessary  for  people  to  sleep 
there,  and  the  bullets  came  zipping  in  at  all  hours  unannounced.  Just 
think  of  having  to  build  yourself. a  fence  of  sandbags  to  get  into  to  have 
a  decent  nap  of  an  hour  or  so! 

"But  still  Peking  had  not  been  relieved.  We  had  been  inside  the 
British  legation  thirty  hours,  and  had  been  to  the  gate  itself  of  the 
Purple  Wonder,  but  over  in  the  Pei-tang,  the  North  cathedral,  old 
Bishop  Favier  was  still  holding  out  against  the  rabble  that  had  be- 
sieged him  so  desperately  all  summer.  It  was  not  until  the  morning  of 
the  sixteenth,  the  day  after  the  American  fiasco  on  the  gates,  that  the 
British  decided  to  send  a  force  to  the  relief  of  the  French.  Then  they 
found  that  the  Japanese  had  done  the  same  thing  already.  The  small 
French  force  went  along  with  the  British  detachment  and  did  not  arrive 
until  the  work  had  been  done.  There  was  very  little  fight  left  in  the 
Chinese.  They  had  had  enough  in  the  last  few  days  and  flew  on  the 
appearance  of  the  Japanese. 

"The  Pei-tang  is  well  within  the  walls  of  the  Imperial  city,  in  its 
northwest  quarter.  It  was  a  beautiful  church,  surrounded  by  ex- 
tensive grounds,  where  there  were  buildings  for  the  shelter  a-nd  occu- 
pation of  many  hundreds  of  native  converts.  Father  Favier  was  one 
of  the  men  who  understood  the  signs  of  the  times  and  made  prepara- 
tions. He  it  was  who  was  responsible  for  the  conversion  of  M.  Pinchon, 
the  minister,  to  a  realization  of  the  gravity  of  the  situation  when  every 
other  minister  there  was  still  doubtful  that  there  would  be  trouble. 
Favier  laid  in  supplies  of  his  own  when  he  found  he  could  not  move  the 
French  of  the  legation.  He  bought  rifles  for  some  of  his  conv.erts,  and 
ammunition,  and  prepared  to  defend  himself.  Then,  at  last,  they  got 
thirty  French  guards,  with  two  officers,  and  ten  Italians.  This  was 
the  whole  band  then — Favier  and  two  o-ther  priests,  three  nuns,  and 
forty-two  guards,  with  about  2,000  native  converts  hoiddled  in  the  huts 
around  the  grounds.  The  Chinese  attacked  them  night  and  day,  and 
battered  the  face  and  east  wall  of  the  beautiful  cathedral  almost  to 
pieces  with  their  shell  fire.  From  the  north  and  west  they  could  not 
attack  so  fiercely  for  fear  of  firing  over  into  the  Forbidden  city  just  be- 
yond. 

"How  the  graveyard  grew  just  behind  the  church!  Once  the  Chinese 
exploded  a  mine  they  had  laid  under  the  corner  of  the  lines  held  by  the 
little  garrison.    It  was  a  tremendous  explosion  and  made  a  hole  big 


392  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

enough  to  put  a  good-sized  ship  in.  It  killed  nearly  300  of  the  converts 
— men,  women  and  children,  and  delivered  the  garrison  the  worst  blow 
it  had  in  the  loss  of  both  its  officers  and  three  of  the  guards.  Still  they 
held  on  so  well  that  the  Chinese  could  not  come  over  the  hole  they  had 
made — they  had  breached  the  line,  but  it  did  them  no  good. 

"Out  in  front  of  the  cathedral  the  Chinese  mounted  an  old  brass  gun 
in  the  beginning  which  the  besieged  promptly  sallied  out  and  took  from 
them.  After  that  w^henever  the  Chinese  fire  was  too  heavy  from  the 
front,  or  they  were  edging  their  barricades  up  too  closely,  the  garrison 
would  run  out  this  old  Long  Tom  and  give  it  to  them  for  a  few  rounds. 
That  always  had  the  effect  of  holding  them  off. 

"They  were  glad  to  be  relieved,  these  Frenchmen  and  Chinese.  They 
had  had  a  long,  hard  fight  of  it,  the  real  fight  of  Peking,  .but  old  Father 
Favier  simply  smiled  and  said,  yes,  they  had  pulled  through. 

"Since  then  nothing  has  been  done  except  get  into  camp  and  divide 
up  the  city  and  loot.  Peking  is  a  sight.  Every  minute  since  the  foreign 
troops  entered  its  outside  wall  there  have  been  fires  in  all  directions. 
It  makes  no  difference  which  way  you  go  at  night — the  path  is  light. 
And  all  about  the  whole  place  is  already  destruction  enough  done  by  the 
Boxers  and  Chinese  to  justify  one  in  saying  the  city  had  been  wrecked. 
Wherever  any  foreigner  or  any  Christian  or  any  Chinese  who  sympa- 
thized with  foreigners  or  converts  lived  or  had  property  it  was  de- 
stroyed. The  Nan-tang,  Southern  cathedral,  was  laid  absolutely  waste. 
That  was  only  a  sample.    Everywhere  it  was  the  same. 

"Now  the  foreigner  has  laid  his  heavy  hand  on  the  wreck,  and  the 
condition  is  steadily  growing  much  worse.  The  looting  is  going  on  more 
easily  and  evenly  than  it  did  at  Tientsin.  Here  there  are  not  so  many 
Chinese  lying  around  watching  for  their  chance.  They  are  fewer  and 
vastly  more  timid.  In  their  own  quarter  the  Americans  are  supposed 
to  stop  looting  entirely  and  the  report  is  that  there  are  orders  to  shoot. 
The  British  are  going  at  the  thing  quietly  and  systematically,  sending 
out  their  pack  trains  with  a  party  in  charge  of  each  under  command  of 
an  officer.  All  the  loot  goes  into  the  big  pile  in  the  legation  compound 
and  will  be  put  up  at  auction.  Then,  when  it  is  all  sold,  Tommy  will 
get  his  share  of  the  prize  money.  It  is  a  very  comfortable  and  easy  way 
and  not  liable  to  heart  burnings  like  ours. 

"The  Russians  and  French  loot  joyously  and  spontaneously,  without 
effort.    They  gather  up  what  they  like,  and  as  far  as  they  can  they  take 


TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  392 

it  from  the  quarter  of  the  city  in  which  they  happen  to  be.  If  a  couple 
of  Russkies  drive  along  in  one  of  their  big  forage  carts  and  happen  to 
find  a.  good  plant,  they  do  not  stop  to  ask  who  has  the  guard.  There 
being  more  time,  and  there  being  also  the  element  of  princely  residences 
which  was  not  in  Tientsin,  looting  seems  to  be  much  more  entertaining. 

"I  hear  funny  stories  from  some  of  the  missionaries.  Three  or  four 
of  the  best  known  of  them  told  me  it  was  not  looting  to  take  goods  that 
had  been  abandoned,  but  only  to  take  them  from  the  owner.  So  they 
have  acquired  some  nice  furs.  I  saw  one  blanket  shaped  like  a  bed- 
spread and  as  big,  that  came  from  the  palace  of  one  of  the  princes.  The 
finder  gave  it  to  one  of  the  ladies  who  had  distinguished  herself  during 
the  siege. 

"Here  more  kinds  of  loot  came  out  than  in  Tientsin.  The  furs  were 
much  better.  So  with  some  of  the  silk,  but  there  are  bits  of  green 
stuff  they  call  jade,  and  one  hears  of  old  plates  and  priceless  vases  and 
that  sort  of  thing.  And  for  sycee,  if  the  soldiers  had  a  way  to  dispose 
of  it,  probably  every  one  of  them  would  be  paid  to  his  satisfaction  for 
coming  to  Peking.  Only  the  Japanese  stand  aloof,  see  it  all,  but  take 
no  part  in  it,  and  say  it  is  all  wrong. 

"The  main  camp  of  the  United  States  troops  is  now  situated  at  the 
Temple  of  Agi'iculture,  a  vast  estate  of  grassy  pastures,  graceful  elm 
trees,  and  gaudy  buildings  in  the  Southern  or  Chinese  city.  On  either 
side  of  the  wide  macadamized  road  which  leads  out  of  one  of  the  south- 
ern gates  to  the  railway  station  are  the  Temple  of  Agriculture  and  the 
Temple  of  Heaven,  great  domains  shut  off  by  high  walls  whose  precincts 
were  sacred  to  the  emperor. 

"Potatoes  and  sides  of  bacon  are  piled  on  the  high  stone  platform 
which  fronts  the  entrance  building  of  the  main  temple,  and  in  the  cool, 
cavernous  interior  among  tiers  of  cases  of  hardtack  and  great  piles  of 
army  provisions  commissary  sergeants  are  issuing  rations  to  the  Amer- 
ican command  in  Peking.  Beyond  the  building  and  across  a  huge  paved 
court  is  the  main  temple,  and  this  has  been  cleared  of  its  paraphernalia 
to  make  room  for  the  cots  of  sick  men.  Between  125  and  150  men  are 
in  the  hospital  at  present,  and  they  are  comfortably  established.  The 
flooring  is  of  stone.  Great  doors  fold  back  and  leave  the  place  almost 
in  the  open  air.  The  great  beams  and  rafters  of  the  ceilings  are  gor- 
geously painted  in  the  usual  rich  style  of  Chinese  temples,  with  purple, 
red  and  gold  dragons  and  figures  of  every  description. 


394  THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

"The  duty  men  and  the  officers  are  encamped  in  tents  on  a  grasti- 
covered  area  bordering  on  an  inviting  elm  grove,  and  the  tents,  espe- 
cially those  of  the  men,  would  make  a  study  for  a  painter.  They  are 
mostly  of  looted  materials,  nearly  all  the  shelter  halves  of  the  command 
having  been  lost  or  abandoned  during  the  march  from  Tientsin  to 
Peking.  Large  sections  of  matting  have  been  built  into  tepees  and  ar- 
ranged according  to  the  fancy  of  the  men.  Some  of  the  tents  are  made 
of  big  sections  of  blue  canvas  awning.  These  show  up  gorgeously  with 
their  sides  covered  with  large  white  Chinese  characters,  which  can  be 
read  all  over  camp. 

"The  strict  line  drawn  on  looting  covered  jewelry  and  valuables,  but 
did  not  extend  to  tenting  materials,  bedding  and  camp  furniture.  So 
the  American  private  stretches  his  weary  limbs  at  night  under  fluffy 
silk  coverlets  intended  for  the  couch  of  some  slant-eyed  beauty  with 
tiny  feet.  His  tent  is  floored  with  a  tigerskin  rug  that  would  grace  the 
hallway  or  drawing-room  of  some  Chicago  residence.  Instead  of  sitting 
cross-legged  on  the  ground  at  mess  time  he  draws  a  heavy  carved 
mahogiany  chair  up  to  a  table  enameled  in  red  and  gold,  over  which  a 
great  paper  parasol  has  been  hoisted  to  keep  off  the  sun's  rays,  and  he 
proceeds  to  consume  camp  hash  or  'cook's  mystery,'  strips  of  bacon, 
hard  bread  and  coffee  from  delicate  porcelain  dishes.  He  warns  himself 
of  the  approach  of  drill  hour,  for  drills  are  again  required,  by  a  gla^nce 
at  a  costly  gold  enameled  clock  he  has  in  his  tent  without  the  knowledge 
of  the  officers,  for  clocks  are  contraband  and  must  be  g-iven  up  or  re- 
turned to  the  place  they  were  taken  from,  if  it  yet  exists. 

"There  is  much  apprehension  as  to  the  state  of  the  food  supplies 
during  the  winter  if  the  present  foraging  keeps  up.  Flocks  of  sheep 
and  herds  of  cattle  are  one  of  the  daily  sights  in  Peking,  as  they  are 
driven  in  from  the  country  to  become  food  for  the  armies  of  occupa- 
tion, which  aggregate  probably  twenty-five  thousand  men.  It  is  the 
system  of  the  Americans  to  commandeer  these  animals  and  pay  for 
them  a  just  price.  Orders  have  been  issued  permitting  no  other  course 
of  acquiring  mutton  or  beef.  It  might  be  interesting  to  state  that  the 
armies  of  certain  other  nations  represented  here  do  not  consider  pay- 
ment for  food  supplies  to  be  necessary  in  all  instances. 

"Not  only  the  sheep  and  cattle  in  the  country  are  suffering  from 
these  raids,  but  the  geese  and  chickens  as  well.  One  countryman  re- 
cently sold  his  entire  poultry  yard  to  the  United  States  commissary 


*rilE  8IEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  SUo 

officer.  The  private  who,  with  the  aid  of  coolies,  drove  in  100  lioisy, 
slowly  waddling  geese  from  several  miles  outside  the  wall  remarked  he 
would  much  rather  herd  cattle,  although  his  comrades,  upon  his  ar- 
rival in  camp,  lined  up  and  gave  three  cheers  for  the  white  squadron 
and  complimented  him  on  his  ability  to  steer  it. 

"Preparations  are  being  made  to  make  the  men  comfortable  when 
the  cold  weather  catches  them.  Big  Shelby  tents  are  being  brought 
from  Tientsin,  and  it  is  proposed  to  erect  them  in  the  Temple  of  Agri- 
culture park,  using  cement  for  flooring.  The  stoves  for  these  tents 
will  also  be  brought  into  Peking  at  once.  Investigations  are  being 
made  as  to  a  supply  of  coal.  A  cavalry  scouting  party  visited  a  colliery 
in  the  hills  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  west  of  Peking  and  found  it  had  gone 
through  a,  course  of  treatment  the  Boxers  use  on  such  modern  arrange- 
ments as  shafts  and  tunnels  filled  with  labor-saving  machinery.  The 
mines  are  useless,  but  plenty  of  coal  has  been  found  piled  up  around 
the  place." 

A  eTapanese  account  of  the  same  operations,  published  in  a  Tokio 
paper,  offers  another  point  of  view  from  a  Japanese  correspondent: 

"It  had  been  agreed  among  the  commanding  officers  that  the  gen- 
eral attack  on  Peking  should  not  be  made  until  the  fifteenth  inst.,  the 
thirteenth  and  fourteenth  being  devoted  to  getting  the  troops  into  posi- 
tion and  making  reconnoissances.  The  Japanese  Ninth  brigade  ac- 
cordingly marched  from  Tungchow  at  6  a.  m.  on  the  thirteenth,  leaving 
the  Eleventh  regiment  in  the  van.  At  10  a.  m.  Tawanchang  was  reached 
and  a  number  of  scouts  were  sent  out.  These  drew  the  enemy's  fire  as 
they  approached  the  walls  of  Peking,  and  some  of  them  fell,  whereupon 
the  Boxers  began  beating  their  big  war  drum  inside  the  city.  The 
scouts  then  returned,  and  at  11  p.  m.  the  sound  of  heavy  firing  was 
heard  from  the  direction  of  the  Tung-pien  gate,  which  it  had  been  ar- 
ranged that  the  English,  Russians  and  Americans  were  to  attack.  But 
the  time  for  that  attack  to  be  delivered  had  not  come,  and,  very  much 
troubled,  the  Japanese  hastily  sent  out  scouts  in  the  direction  w-hence 
the  firing  proceeded,  to  learn  what  was  the  matter.  A  strange  discov- 
ery was  then  made.  The  Russians,  in  spite  of  the  agreement  not  to  at- 
tack the  city  till  the  fifteenth,  had  already  commenced  fighting. 

"General  Yamaguchi,  whose  headquarters  were  in  Tungchow,  then 
gave  an  order  to  the  effect  that  the  cavalry  should  maneuver  on  the  west 
and  northwest  of  the  city  and  that  the  Ninth  brigade  should  without 


396  TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

waiting  for  his  arrival  take  the  first  opportunity  of  effecting  an  entry, 
At  dawn  on  the  fourteenth  accordingly  the  advance  was  commenced 
from  Tawanchang.  The  movement  began  at  4:45  a.  m.,  the  Forty-first 
regiment  being  in  the  van  and  the  Eleventh  regiment  forming  the' main 
body,  the  Tse-hwa  gate  being  the  objective  point.  The  weather  was 
beautiful  and  the  troops  presented  a  splendid  appearance  as  they 
marched  to  the  attack.  Meanwhile  the  Twenty-first  brigade,  with  the 
headquarters,  moved  out  of  Tungchow  at  3:30  a.  m. — the  Forty-second 
regiment  forming  the  main  body — and  marched  without  halting  to  a 
position  1,200  or  1,300  meters  from  the  Tse-hwa  gate. 

"The  enemy  were  ranged  on  the  walls  in  fighting  order,  and  they 
opened  a  rifle  fire  on  the  advancing  Japanese  troops,  who  pushed  on 
gradually,  however,  finding  cover  in  the  houses  on  either  side  of  the 
road.  On  approaching  the  gate  they  found  the  walls  and  towers  intact 
and  so  high  that  to  scale  them  was  quite  out  of  the  question.  Moreover, 
the  system  of  defense  was  very  complete,  so  that  troops  advancing  to 
attack  the  gate  would  find  themselves  exposed  to  flank  and  rear  fire 
from  the  adjacent  parapets.  On  the  other  hand,  unless  the  gates  were 
quickly  forced  and  an  entry  effected,  the  troops  pushing  up  from  the 
rear  to  the  attack  would  find  themselves  in  a  species  of  well  with  bul- 
lets pouring  down  on  them  from  overhead.  Lieutenant  Yasaki,  with  a 
detachment  of  the  First  companyj  and  Captain  Minamiyama,  with  the 
whole  of  the  Tenth  company,  attempted  to  force  the  gate,  but  failed. 
Major  Saiki  then  led  the  van  to  the  gate  for  the  purpose  of  blowing  it 
up  with  guncotton,  but  the  enemy,  who  was  all  the  time  raining  down 
bullets  from  above,  caused  such  havoc  among  our  men  that  the  attempt 
had  to  be  abandoned.  The  artillery  now  opened  fire  on  the  enemy 
crowding  the  wall,  at  a  distance  of  1,500  or  1,600  meters  from  the  Tse- 
liua  gate,  and  for  some  time  after  Colonel  Nagata's  eighteen  fieldpieces 
and  thirty-six  mountain  guns  kept  up  an  incessant  cannonade.  We 
thoroughly  searched  the  position  of  the  enemy's  guns  on  the  north  and 
south  of  the  gate,  but  they  took  cover  while  we  fired  and  came  out 
again  as  soon  as  our  troops  began  to  move  toward  the  gate.  The  men 
under  Lieutenant  Yazaki  and  Captain  Minamiyama  were  all  this  time 
lying  under  the  wall,  unable  to  advance  or  retreat,  and  as  the  position 
had  become  temporarily  hopeless,  the  infantry  was  gradually  drawn  off 
at  11  a,  m.,  a  strong  artillery  fire  being  now  concentrated  on  the  gate. 
OAving,  however,  to  the  configuration  of  the  trace,  it  was  almost  impos- 


THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  397 

sible  for  shells  to  reach  the  gate,  and  though  several  attempts  were 
made  to  carry  forward  gun-cotton,  the  men  could  not  yet  cross  the  zone 
of  fire.  In  one  of  these  attempts  Lieutenant  Yazaki  was  killed.  Colonel 
Ohara  then  reported  the  great  difficulty  of  the  situation  to  Lieutenant- 
General  Yamaguchi,  who  thereupon  issued  orders  that  as  the  engineers 
would  expose  themselves  too  much  if  they  attempted  to  blow  up  the 
gate  in  the  daytime,  the  attempt  should  be  postponed  till  between  9  and 
10  o'clock  on  the  following  night.  Nevertheless  the  bombardment  was 
kept  up  throughout  the  rest  of  the  day. 

"The  task  of  blowing  up  the  gate  was  intrusted  to  a  detachment  of 
engineers  under  Lieutenant  Tesikaya,  who  told  off  a  sub-lieutenant  and 
seven  sappers  to  guncotton  the  outer  gate,  and  a  corporal  with  seven 
sappers  to  blow  up  the  inner  gate.  At  a  little  before  9  o'clock  the  men 
began  to  get  ready  for  the  attempt,  stripping  themselves  completely  in 
order  to  escape  the  enemy's  notice.  It  was  a  fine  moonlight  night,  but 
fortunately  a  shower  of  rain  fell  just  before  the  time  for  making  the 
attempt,  and  the  little  detachments  moved  forward  under  a  sky  which 
was  temporarily  overcast.  The  enemy,  evidently  prepared  for  an  attack 
under  these  circumstances,  opened  a  heavy  fire,  but  the  engineer  de- 
tachments pushed  on  resolutely,  and  at  9:30  p.  m.  the  first  gate  was 
blown  open,  the  second  gate  being  in  like  manner  shattered  a  few  mo- 
ments after.  Thereupon  three  battalions  charged  the  gates,  and,  sweep- 
ing away  the  enemy,  effected  an  entry. 

"When  at  8  a.  m.  the  Eleventh  regiment,  which  had  left  Tungchow 
on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh,  reached  the  position  opposite  the  Tse- 
hwa  gate,  the  latter  was  already  under  attack  by  the  Forty-first  regi- 
ment. Major  Marayama,  who  was  in  command  of  the  leading  battalion 
of  the  Eleventh  regiment,  disposed  his  men  to  assist  the  attack  on  the 
Ttee-hwa  gate,  but  as  news  reached  him  just  then  that  the  Russians  had 
effected  an  entry  at  the  Tung-pien  gate,  he  ordered  the  battalion  to 
march  thither  with  the  object  of  opening  speedy  communication  with 
the  legations.  But  the  battalion  found  on  reaching  the  gate,  that  it 
had  not  been  breached,  and  the  troops  were  therefore  marched  back. 
At  6  p.  m.,  however,  another  message  was  received  saying  that  the 
Tung-pien  gate  had  been  breached,  and  the  Third  and  First  battalions 
marched  thither  at  once,  entering  immediately  after  the  Russian  troops. 
The  Russians  had  experienced  unlooked-for  resistance  and  had  many 
killed  and  wounded,  a  number  also  falling  into  the  enemy's  hands.    The 


398  THE  SIEGE  AND  8ACK  OF  PEKING. 

Tung-pien  gate  does  not  give  direct  admittance  to  the  Tartar  city,  the 
Hata  gate,  which  is  at  a  considerable  distance  having  also  to  be  entered. 
Various  reports  reached  the  Japanese  to  the  effect  that  the  Hata  gate 
had  been  breached  by  the  Russian  troops,  but  on  Major-General 
Fukushima  proceeding  toward  it,  it  was  found  to  be  still  standing  in- 
tact and  firmly  shut.  Between  the  gate  and  the  ground,  however,  there 
w^as  interval  sufficient  for  a  man  to  creep  through,  and  through  the  nar- 
row opening  Captain  Hayashi  immediately  thrust  himself,  carrying  a 
hand  electric  lamp.  He  was  able  to  ascertain  that  the  gate  was  formed 
of  a  single  i)anel  and  that  the  enemy  were  not  in  sight.  Accordingly, 
he  and  ten  men  crept  under  the  gate,  and  on  ascending  the  parapet 
found  that  it  was  so  constructed  as  to  be  raised  and  lowered  in  a 
groove.  They  raised  it  sufficiently  to  allow  of  the  passage  of  a  horse 
and  then  they  entered  the  Tartar  city,  the  Japanese  troops  taking  the 
lead,  the  Russians  following.    They  reached  the  legation  at  8:55  p.  m. 

"The  attack  on  the  Tung-chih  gate  was  very  much  the  same  as  that 
on  the  Tse-hira  gate,  but  was  rendered  remarkable  by  a  somewhat  sin- 
gular circumstance.  After  the  gate  was  blown  off  the  engineers  who 
had  performed  the  feat  could  not  for  some  time  draw  the  attention  of 
the  infantry  to  the  fact,  the  explosion  having  been  drowned  by  the 
noise  of  the  enemy's  fire,  and  during  the  interval  the  Japanese  at  the 
gate  were  exposed  to  all  kinds  of  missiles,  tiles  and  even  silver  being 
rained  down  on  them.  Their  losses  were  ninety  and  those  of  the  enemy 
were  also  heavy,  several  hundreds  of  dead  and  over  seventy  pieces  of 
artillery  being  left  on  the  field. 

"The  measures  for  defense  taken  by  the  foreign  community  were  re- 
markably strong.  All  round  the  concession  and  thence  to  the  Chi- 
nese town  a  brick  parapet  had  been  constructed  and  had  been  rebuilt 
several  times,  the  extent  being  reduced  on  each  occasion,  so  that  it  tells 
a  plain  tale  of  how  the  foreigners  were  gradually  driven  back.  The 
British  legation  had  been  regarded  as  the  citadel.  Sandbags  were  piled 
up  in  all  the  windows,  and  the  defenses  were  of  the  most  minute  char- 
acter, these  defenses  having  been  planned  chiefly  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Shiba.  Within  the  legation  inclosure  are  eight  graves  of  Japanese 
who  fell  during  the  siege.  The  spirits  of  the  garrison  had  never  flagged, 
but  their  appearance  indicated  great  exhaustion,  the  natural  result  of 
protracted  anxiety  and  deficient  provisions.  Their  morning  meal  had 
been  gruel  made  from  unhulled  rice  and  their  evening  meal  barley 


THE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  399 

dumplings;  the  only  relish  seaweed  soup.  Occasionally  they  had  horse 
flesh,  which  was  regarded  a  superlative  treat.  Native  converts  in  the 
British  legation  often  had  nothing  to  eat  but  grass;  several  died  of 
hunger;  the  rest  almost  all  in  hopeless  condition  of  exhaustion." 

One  of  the  most  graphic  tales  of  all  was  that  furnished  by  the  Asso- 
ciated Press  correspondent  who  described  the  scenes  at  the  British 
Legation  and  thereabouts  just  after  the  relief. 

"In  the  grounds  of  the  British  Legation,  where  a  handful  of  men 
withstood  the  millions  of  the  Chinese  capital  for  fifty-six  days,  a  mem- 
orable celebration  is  in  progress  to-night  in  vindication  of  that  principle. 
-Missionaries,  assembled  about  Bell  ToAver,  are  singing  the  Doxology. 
Rockets  are  blazing.  Soldiers  and  civilians  of  all  nationalities  are 
fraternizing.  The  women  are  applauding  the  sound  of  the  cannon  that 
are  smashing  the  yellow  roofs  of  the  Forbidden  City.  The  tired  Sikhs 
are  planting  their  tents  on  the  lawn,  and  the  American  and  Russian 
contingents  are  lighting  campflres  along  the  stretch  of  turf  extending 
beyond  the  Tartar  wall. 

"Through  the  ruins  of  the  foreign  settlement  an  eager,  cosmopolitan 
crowd  is  jostling- — Indians,  Cossacks,  legation  ladies,  diplomats,  Ameri- 
cans from  the  Philippines,  and  French  disciplinarians  from  Saigon, 
who  kept  discreetly  to  the  rear  while  the  fighting  was  in  progress,  but 
came  conspicuously  to  the  front  when  looting  began.  Only  the  Jap- 
anese, who  have  earned  the  first  place,  are  absent. 

"Resident  foreigners  welcome  the  luxury  of  walking  about  and 
immunity  from  bullets.  The  newcomers  are  anxious  to  inspect  the 
evidences  of  an  historic  defense.  These  barricades  are,  after  all,  the 
most  wonderful  sight  in  Peking.  The  barriers  hedging  the  British  Lega- 
tion are  a  marvel  of  stone  and  brick  walls  and  earthworks.  Sandbags 
shield  every  foot  of  space.  The  tops  of  the  walls  have  niches  for  the 
riflemen,  and  the  buildings,  at  their  porticos  and  windows,  have  armor 
boxes,  bags  stuffed  with  dirt,  and  pillows,  too. 

"Back  of  the  United  States  legation  is  a  work  named  "Fort  Myers," 
which  the  marines  held,  completely  screening  both  sides  of  the  walls, 
with  steps  leading  to  it.  There  is  a  loop-holed  barrier  across  the  wall 
which  faces  a  similar  Chinese  work  a  few  yards  away.  Another  wall 
bars  Legation  sti'eet  in  front  of  the  German  legation,  and  confronting 
the  enemy's  barricades  within  those  limits  are  yet  more  walls,  enabling 
the  foreigners  to  contract  the  area  of  defense  if  pressed. 


400  THE  SIEOE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

"The  tops  of  the  American  and  British  buildings  were  badly  torn  by 
the  Chinese  shells.  The  rest  of  the  foreign  settlement  was  almost  demol- 
ished. Two  thousand  eight  hundred  shells  fell  there  during  the  first 
three  weeks  of  the  bombardment,  400  in  one  day.  Buckets  full  of  bullets 
were  gathered  in  the  grounds.  Four  hundred  and  fourteen  people  lived 
in  the  compound  through  the  greater  part  of  the  siege.  Three  hundred 
and  four  marines,  assisted  by  eighty-five  volunteers,  commanded  by  the 
English  Captain  Poole,  defended  the  place.  Eleven  civilians  were  killed 
and  nineteen  wounded.  Fifty-four  marines  and  sailors  were  killed  and 
112  wounded.  Mr.  Gilbert  Reid,  who  was  wounded  in  the  feet,  was  the 
only  American  civilian  injured.    Two  foreign  women  were  wounded. 

"The  reception  which  the  survivors  gave  the  army  was  worth  the 
hardships  the  troops  had  undergone.  The  entrance  was  not  spectacular. 
Sir  Alfred  Gaselee,  with  his  staff  and  a  company  of  Sikhs,  waded  up  a 
bed  of  sewage  in  the  canal  under  the  Tartar  wall.  The  besieged  removed 
the  barricades,  and  when  the  gates  swung  inward  and  the  British  colors 
appeared  there  arose  a  great,  continuous  cheer  on  both  sides.  Generals, 
soldiers,  and  correspondents  scrambled  up  the  banks  through  the  filth, 
elbowing  to  be  first.  Men  and  women  surrounded  the  rescuers  and  shook 
the  hands  of  the  Sikhs,  patting  them  on  the  back.  Everybody  was 
hustled  excitedly  along  into  the  legation  grounds,  where  the  colors  were 
planted.  The  soldiers  surrounded  the  wall  which  had  been  the  salvation 
of  the  besieged.  The  Ministers  and  officers  demanded  the  latest  news 
on  both  sides. 

"An  hour  afterward  General  Chaffee,  riding  at  the  head  of  the  Four- 
teenth United  States  Infantry,  marched  to  the  Tartar  wall.  An  Ameri- 
can marine  who  was  on  top  of  the  wall  shouted :  'You  are  just  in  time. 
We  need  you  in  our  business.' 

"  'Where  can  we  get  in?'  asked  General  Chaffee. 

"  'Through  the  canal.  The  British  entered  there  two  hours  ago,'  was 
the  response.     The  American  General  looked  disappointed. 

"Although  the  Americans  entered  behind  the  last  of  the  British 
forces,  their  reception  was  just  as  enthusiastic  as  if  they  had  been  first. 
When  the  Stars  and  Stripes  emerged  into  view,  Mr.  Tewksbury,  the 
missionary,  cried,  'Americans,  cheer  your  flag.'  The  women  waved 
their  handkerchiefs  and  the  soldiers  cheered  in  reply. 

"On  entering  the  grounds  of  the  British  legation  the  American 
troops  stared  in  amazement  and  inquired  if  there  was  a  lawn  party  in 


TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING.  401 

progress.  They  had  expected  to  find  the  relieved  in  a  worse  condition 
than  themselves,  whereas,  the  contrast  between  the  appearance  of  the 
rescued  and  the  rescuers  was  surprisingly  in  favor  of  the  former.  The 
British  Minister,  Sir  Claude  Macdonald,  was  shaven  and  dressed  in 
immaculate  tennis  flannels.  Mr.  Conger,  the  United  States  Minister, 
was  equally  presentable.  The  assemblage  of  women  was  fresh  and 
bright  in  summer  clothing.  Only  a  few  civilians  were  carrying  arms. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  rescuers  were  haggard  and  rough-bearded.  They 
dragged  themselves  along  as  if  ready  to  drop,  their  khaki  uniforms 
dripping  with  perspiration  and  black  with  mud. 

"But  a  second  glance  showed  that  the  rescued  were  pathetically  pale 
and  thin.  They  looked  like  a  company  of  invalids.  Every  part  of  the 
inclosure  testified  to  their  tragic  experiences.  There  was  a  plot  of  new 
graves,  headed  with  wooden  crosses,  including  the  graves  of  five  chil- 
dren. The  second  secretary's  house  was  the  hospital  and  it  was  filled 
with  wounded.  French  nuns  ministered  there  at  one  time.  All  but  four 
men  of  the  Japanese  contingent  had  been  in  the  hospital,  wounded. 
There  were  several  caves,  roofed  with  timbers  heaped  over  with  earth, 
which  served  as  bombproofs. 

"The  bulletin  board  was  covered  with  significant  notices.  For  in- 
stance: 

"  ^As  there  is  likely  to  be  a  severe  dropping  fire  to-day  women  and 
children  are  forbidden  to  walk  about  the  gi'ounds.' 

"Here  is  another: 

"  ^Owing  to  the  small  supply  of  vegetables  and  eggs,  the  market  will 
be  open  only  from  9  to  10  o'clock  hereafter.  All  horse  meat  is  inspected 
by  a  physician.' 

"The  Americans  advanced  along  the  left  canal  under  cover,  the 
Fourteenth  Infantry  leading,  with  the  Ninth  Infantry  and  the  marines 
following.  From  a  hill  Captain  Reilly  shelled  a  pagoda  over  the  Che- 
Hua  gate  until  the  infantry  got  close  in.  The  Fourteenth  Regiment 
was  extended  under  cover  before  the  wall,  about  300  yards  away,  when 
E  Company  scaled  the  corner  near  the  gate,  under  fire  of  sharpshooters. 
Lieutenant  Gohn  planted  the  regimental  flag. 

"The  regiment  then  crowded  with  the  Russians  through  the  gate 
until  opposed,  but  every  side  of  the  streets  leading  to  the  Tartar  wall, 
along  which  the  soldiers  passed,  was  swept  by  rifle  fire  from  the  wall. 
The  companies  dashed  across  the  streets  in  single  file.     The  British, 


402  TEE  SIEGE  AND  SACK  OF  PEKING. 

entering  Sha.-Ho  gate,  about  the  middle  of  the  east  wall,  were  nearer 
the  legations  and  able  to  enter  first. 

"The  last  five  days'  marching  was  the  worst.  It  was  a  terrible 
strain.  The  thermometer  kept  near  100  degrees  and  was  sometimes 
above  that  figure.  The  country  was  deep  with  sand  and  the  route  lay 
through  shadeless  fields  of  tall,  thin  corn.  The  Japanese  possessed  the 
greatest  endurance,  and,  being  provided  with  the  best  transport,  they 
made  the  pace.  The  Kussians  held  second  place  most  of  the  time.  The 
Americans  and  English  were  pushed  to  the  utmost  to  keep  up.  General 
Fukushima  said  the  Japanese  might  have  reached  Peking  two  days  be- 
fore. He  probably  spoke  the  truth.  They  seemed  never  to  rest.  Their 
cavalry  and  scouting  parties  were  thrashing  the  country  ahead  on  their 
flanks,  and  their  outposts  kept  in  constant  contact  with  the  enemy, 
pressing  the  latter  so  closely  that  they  threw  away  their  pots,  sleeping 
mats,  and  clothing. 

"Several  hundred  Americans  dropped  out  from  the  heat  each  day  and 
came  straggling  into  camp  this  evening.  Even  the  native  Indian  troops 
suffered  almost  as  much.  The  army  could  be  tracked  by  dead  horses. 
The  soldiers  drank  continually  from  the  muddy  river  and  wells  by  the 
wayside,  with  the  result  that  an  epidemic  of  dysentery  set  in.  The 
Americans  marched  during  the  hottest  hours  of  the  day,  causing  great 
dissatisfaction  among  officers  and  men  who  had  wished  to  move  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning  and  evening,  like  the  Japanese  and  Kussians.  But 
with  four  armies  following  a  single  road  the  more  enterprising  got  the 
right  of  way,  and  the  others  had  to  follow  when  they  could." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
TWO  MONTHS  OF  PERIL. 

The  Terrors  of  the  Siege — The  First  Attack — At  the  Mercy  of  Mobs — The  Japanese  Chan- 
cellor Assassinated— Fanatics  Patrol  the  City — Bravery  of  the  Ministers — Dangers  from 
Incendiaries — Appeals  for  Relief— Murder  of  Baron  von  Ketteler,  the  Crcrman  Minis- 
ter—Children Play  with  Spent  Cannon  Balls— Sandbags  of  Satin— Arrival  of  the  Allies, 

rHE  rescue  of  the  foreign  ministers  in  Peking  by  the  allied 
forces  of  the  United  States  and  the  European  powers  after 
a  campaign  costing  many  lives  was  the  closing  incident  in 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  episodes  in  the  history  of  the 
centuiy.  Since  the  early  days  of  June  the  foreign  ministers 
with  their  families  and  official  households,  together  with  a  handful  of 
marine  guards,  had  been  besieged  by  imperial  troops  in  the  compound 
of  the  British  legation.  These  marine  guards  numbered  400  men,  and 
were  from  the  navies  of  the  United  States,  Great  Britain,  France,  Ger- 
many, Russia,  Italy,  and  Japan.  These  400  men  defied  and  held  at 
bay  the  millions  of  the  Chinese  capital  for  weeks.  Night  and  day,  al- 
most without  ceasing,  they  were  under  the  rifle  and  artillery  fire  of 
the  Chinese  imperial  troops,  and  as  an  act  of  bravery  the  conduct  of 
this  handful  of  marines  stands  almost  without  a  parallel  in  history. 

The  treaty  which  closed  the  French  and  English  war  in  1860  first 
granted  to  the  powers  the  right  to  maintain  their  embassies  in  the  Chi- 
nese capital.  In  the  early  days,  before  the  building  of  the  railroad  from 
Tientsin  to  Peking,  the  line  of  travel  was  up  the  river  to  Tung  Chou, 
and  thence  into  the  capital  through  the  eastern  one  of  the  southern 
gates  of  the  city.  Entering  Peking  through  this  gate,  the  Forbidden 
city  with  its  imperial  palaces  lay  to  the  west,  and  it  was  but  natural 
that  the  first  envoys  should  turn  up  the  first  street  leading  toward  the 
palaces.  It  so  happened  that  this  street  had  been  for  centuries  the 
quarter  in  which  lodged  the  envoys  from  the  tribute-paying  neighbors 
of  the  Chinese  empire — Koreans,  Mongols,  Tibetans,  and  Indo-Chinese, 
and  the  street  which  is  known  among  the  foreigners  as  Legation  street 
is  called  by  the  Chinese  the  Street  of  Tributary  Nations.  The  fact  that 
the  foreigners  established  themselves  in  this  quarter  has  in  a  large 

403 


404  TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL. 

measure  influenced  the  Chinese  in  their  treatment  of  them,  and  while  a 
mistake  was  made  in  this  respect,  still  the  early  Ambassadors  chose 
wisely  in  selecting  for  their  residences  the  handsomest  of  the  then  un- 
occupied palaces  belonging  to  the  crown. 

The  English  selected  a  large  palace  which  lay  along  the  west  side 
of  a  canal  that  drains  the  lakes  within  the  Forbidden  city,  and  lies  just 
north  of  Legation  street.  The  quaintness  and  Oriental  magnificence 
of  these  ducal  palaces  have  been  largely  preserved  by  the  legations  that 
have  occupied  them. 

The  massive  entrances  stand  unchanged;  the  open  pavilions  with 
their  lacquered  pillars  and  rich  carvings  are  used  as  ballrooms.  The 
courts  and  arbors  and  walks,  with  their  rockeries  and  terraces,  still 
stand;  but  the  details  of  the  dwelling-houses  have  been  changed  to  suit 
the  requirements  of  modern  comfort,  and  there  is  little  comparison  be^ 
tween  the  severely  simple  furnishings  of  the  former  Chinese  occupants 
and  the  luxuriously  furnished  salons  of  the  modern  Ambassadors.  Glass 
windows  and  tight  doors  have  replaced  the  old  Chinese  fretwork  and 
paper  windows,  while  chimneys  have  been  built  in  every  available 
corner.  The  winters  in  Peking  are  cold,  and  where  the  Chinese  find 
comfort  in  wearing  additional  suits  of  clothes,  the  white  man  insists  on 
his  fires  to  keep  warm,  and  the  many  chimneys  built  in  these  old  palaces 
have  so  disturbed  the  spirits  of  their  former  occupants  that  they  have 
caused  more  discussion  than  affairs  of  state. 

The  heavy  walls  which  surround  these  legations  have  proved  effect- 
ive means  of  defense,  while  the  Chinese  method  of  building  houses  up 
against  one  another,  and  their  numerous  alleys  and  courts  and  narrow 
passages,  and  their  many  back  gates  offer  facilities  for  secret  communi- 
cation that  can  be  found  in  no  other  city  in  the  world.  The  British 
legation,  in  which  a  small  baud  of  marines  has  been  able  to  defy  Chinese 
mobs  numbering  tens  of  thousands,  is  adjoined  on  both  the  north  and 
south  by  the  compounds  of  friendly  Chinese.  At  the  northwest  corner 
were  the  imperial  carriage  yards;  on  the  west  were  still  other  inclosures 
of  friendly  Chinese,  while  the  stable  gates  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  legation  opened  into  a  large  Chinese  market.  The  walls  around  the 
legation,  almost  three  feet  thick,  have  been,  cut  through  into  the  com- 
pounds of  the  friendly  Chinese,  and  through  them,  and  from  the  Chinese 
market  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  smuggle  supplies  and  provisions,  and 
also  to  spy  on  the  besieging  mobs  around  them.    These  legations  are, 


TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  405 

in  fact,  little  cities  within  themselves.  The  English  legation  has  on  its 
premises  no  less  than  eight  or  ten  different  walls,  and  covers  an  area  of 
about  six  acres.  There  are  separate  establishments  for  the  Minister 
and  for  the  first  and  second  secretaries  of  legation,  extensive  quarters 
and  barracks  for  consular  students  and  military  escorts,  private  stables 
for  the  Minister  and  general  stables  for  others  of  the  legation,  a  doctor's 
house  and  a  hospital,  a  parsonage  and  a  chapel,  a  school  and  homes  for 
the  teachers,  besides  extensive  quarters  for  servants. 

The  other  legations,  except  the  American,  are  mainly  on  the  same 
general  plan,  though  none  of  them  on  so  elaborate  a  scale  as  that  main- 
tained by  the  English.  The  American  legation  occupies  the  most  hum- 
ble quarters  of  any  foreign  mission.  On  the  south  side  of  Legation 
street,  just  beyond  the  old  marble  bridge  that  crosses  the  canal,  it  lies 
in  the  shadow  of  the  great  wall  of  the  Tartar  city.  The  Chinese  cannot 
understand  and  have  never  ceased  to  wonder  and  speculate  on  how  one 
who  lives  as  simply  as  the  American  Minister  can  expect  such  considera- 
tion and  respect  from  the  representatives  of  the  other  powers,  who 
maintain  court  with  Oriental  splendor  in  the  magnificent  old  palaces  of 
the  Manchu  Princes. 

Some  have  complained  that  life  in  Peking  is  almost  exile.  For 
many  years  it  was  comparatively  quiet.  The  Ministers  had  little  to  do 
looking  after  the  interests  of  their  governments,  and  there  were  few 
complaints  from  their  citizens  engaged  in  trade  throughout  the  empire. 
The  delightful  summers  were  spent  in  the  old  temples  on  the  famous 
western  hills  overlooking  the  plain  surrounding  Peking.  Excursions 
and  side  trips  to  the  great  wall,  the  Ming  tombs,  the  summer  palace, 
the  beautiful  deer  park,  or  to  the  royal  potteries,  where  the  beautifu- 
yellow,  green,  and  blue  porcelains  Avhich  adorn  the  imperial  palaces 
are  made  under  the  direction  of  a  descendant  of  the  original  inventor, 
furnished  about  all  the  excitement  that  was  to  be  found.  In  the  winter 
time  the  succession  of  state  dinners  and  legation  balls  was  varied  with 
ice  carnivals  held  in  the  skating  rinks,  which  were  made  by  flooding 
the  tennis  courts  in  the  legation  grounds  and  housing  them  over  with 
sheds  of  bamboo  matting. 

Ever  since  the  outbreak  of  the  Japanese  war  the  moving  armies  of 
Chinese  soldiers  from  provinces  where  foreigners  were  unknown  began 
to  make  it  dangerous  to  wander  about  the  city  as  the  legation  people 
had  formerly  done.    There  have  been  secret  treaties,  waves  of  reform, 


406  TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  . 

and  great  reactions,  riots,  beheadings,  hurried  flights,  rumors  of  uj)- 
rising,  abdications,  the  coming  and  going  of  legation  guards,  and,  at 
last,  the  deluge. 

The  twelve  days  between  June  8  and  20  may  be  regarded  as  an  inter- 
lude in  the  attack  upon  foreigners  in  Peking.  By  Saturday,  the  9th, 
practically  all  of  them  except  those  in  the  northern  Koman  Catholic 
cathedral  had  removed  within  the  quadrangle  under  the  protection  of 
foreign  guards,  that  quadrangle  being  somewhat  extended  to  the  east 
so  as  to  take  in  the  numerous  courts  of  the  Methodist  mission  premises. 
The  military  authorities,  who  had  only  fifty  marines  to  guard  the  lega- 
tion, were  naturally  reluctant  to  detach  twenty  of  them  for  the  protec- 
tion of  a  place  more  than  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  legation,  and  one 
that  in  case  of  an  attack  was  not  easily  defensible.  But  for  the  seventy 
Americans  who  were  crowding  every  corner  of  the  Methodist  dwellings 
there  would  have  been  in  the  legation  itself  no  accommodation  what- 
ever, not  to  speak  of  the  600  or  more  Chinese  Christians  whom  the  mis- 
sionaries refused  to  abandon.  The  ]Minister,  therefore,  overruled  the 
judgment  of  the  officers,  and  insisted  upon  furnishing  the  guards,  ac- 
cording to  previous  promise,  and  they  took  up  their  new  duties  upon  the 
9th,  under  the  charge  of  Captain  Hall.  The  British  Minister,  instead  of 
sending  ten  marines  as  expected,  loaned  in  their  place  ten  Martini  rifles, 
which  did  good  service. 

With  the  national  instinct  for  organization  the  Americans  promptly 
met  and  chose  committees  into  whose  hands  was  confided  the  co-opera- 
tion with  the  military  in  defensive  operations,  listing  of  Chinese  for  pur- 
I)Oses  of  labor  and  military  drill,  and  many  cognate  matters  of  general 
concern.  The  whole  premises  were  patrolled  by  civilians  and  by 
Chinese,  the  more  important  posts  being  reserved  for  the  marines,  all 
of  whom  had  been  seasoned  by  long  experience  in  the  Philippines^  and 
were  fully  equal  to  anything  required  of  them.  The  long  outer  walls  of 
the  compound  had  watchmen  whose  view  commanded  the  entire  sur- 
rounding region,  and  in  a  short  time  the  lines  were  greatly  extended 
so  as  to  take  in  the  grounds  of  the  Peking  university,  a  few  minutes' 
walk  to  the  northwest.  There  were  sentinels  always  on  duty  on  the 
galvanized  iron  roof  of  the  great  church,  glowing  hot  all  day  and  slip- 
pery at  night  with  the  dew  or  rain.  Every  man  was  armed  with  some 
weapon,  and  each  had  his  appointed  position  in  time  of  danger.  Special 
individuals  were  charged  with  the  care  of  the  Chinese  in  time  of  alarm, 


TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  407 

to  see  that  all  were  duly  notified,  and  to  prevent  a  panic.  Within  the 
rectangle  commanded  by  the  Methodist  compound  lived  fifteen  or 
twenty  non-Christian  families,  some  of  them  friendly,  others  hostile. 
Under  military  orders  and  from  the  Ministers,  these  were  told  to  remove 
elsewhere,  the  alleys  were  barricaded  at  both  ends,  and  a  strict  watch 
was  set,  especially  to  guard  against  fire.  First  and  second  lines  of 
defense  were  marked  out,  barbed  wire  fences  being  erected  behind  the 
walls  which  it  was  thought  might  possibly  be  scaled.  All  the  flag 
tiles  in  all  the  yards  were  used  in  making  cross  barricades,  and  deep 
trenches  were  dug  behind  them.  The  foreign  stores  were  ransacked  for 
anything  which  might  aid  in  the  defense,  numbers  of  excellent  foreign 
lanterns  and  shovels  being  secured,  the  lack  of  which  was  afterward 
severely  felt  in  the  British  legation.  By  the  time  these  preparations 
had  been  carried  into  execution  it  was  felt  that  the  premises  could  not 
be  rushed  by  any  attack  from  Boxers,  however  sudden  or  violent.  To 
guard  against  a  continued  assault  by  large  numbers,  the  large  brick 
church  had  been  fitted  up  as  a  citadel,  its  doors  being  reinforced  by 
frames  with  galvanized  iron  plates,  the  windows  barricaded  and  loop- 
holed,  large  stocks  of  provisions  and  water  brought  in,  and  every  pre- 
caution taken  to  enable  the  people  within  to  withstand  a  siege  of 
several  days. 

On  June  11  Mr.  Sugiyama,  chancellor  of  the  Japanese  legation,  while 
riding  in  a  jinricksha  outside  the  Yung  Tung  gate  of  the  southern  city, 
was  assaulted  and  killed  and  his  body  was  never  recovered.  An  imperial 
edict  denounced  the  murderers,  but  its  authors  failed  to  perceive  that 
this  act  was  a  part  of  the  harvest  reaped  from  the  dragon's  teeth  sown 
so  freely  by  the  Empress  Dowager  and  her  advisers.  The  following  day 
it  was  reported  that  the  imperial  postofifice  at  Tung  Ghou  had  been 
wrecked  and  the  telegraijh  poles  cut  down.  The  line  to  Tientsin  had 
been  destroy  d  some  days  before,  the  last  slender  link  connecting 
Peking  with  the  rest  of  the  world  being  the  single  wire  to  Kalgan, 
which  was  now  severed,  thus  beginning  the  isolation  which  continued 
for  many  weary  weeks.  It  was  ascertained  from  refugees  arriving  from 
Tung  Chou  that  the  mission  premises  both  in  the  city  and  outside  were 
looted  by  the  regular  Chinese  troops  who  had  been  summoned  to  protect 
them,  promptly  followed  by  the  hungry  mob  always  ready  for  such  a 
task.  All  the  eight  dwelling  houses,  the  North  China,  college,  the 
chapels,    schools,    and    property    of   every    description    were    utterly 


408  TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL. 

destroyed  either  on  the  day  after  the  premises  were  left  or  the  day 
following,  scarcely  one  brick  remaining.  The  Taotai  was  said  to  be  a 
virtual  prisoner  of  the  Boxers,  who  compelled  him,  as  they  had  forced 
the  magistrate  of  Cho  Chou,  to  affix  his  seal  to  their  proclamations  and 
orders.  The  other  officials  had  already  openly  espoused  the  Boxer 
cause. 

On  the  afternoon  of  June  13  word  was  brought  that  the  Methodist 
chapel  on  the  great  street,  but  a  few  hundred  yards  away,  was  being 
pulled  down  by  a  Boxer  mob,  the  sounds  of  demolishing  being  uproar- 
ious and  continuous.  A  squad  of  marines  was  sent  to  the  mouth  of  the 
alley  and  charged  the  rioters,  but  without  firing  upon  them,  thus  for 
the  moment  checking  their  proceedings.  The  plan  adopted  by  the 
Boxers  was  to  break  down  a  portion  of  the  woodwork,  pour  over  it 
several  quarts  of  kerosene  brought  for  the  purpose,  and  then  light  it, 
no  one  being  allowed  to  make  any  effort  to  arrest  the  flames.  All  that 
night  the  heavens  were  aglow  with  the  glare  of  burning  buildings  in 
every  part  of  the  city,  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  two  or  three  days 
it  became  known  that  Avith  the  exception  of  those  defended  by  foreign 
troops,  every  place  in  Peking  belonging  to  or  occupied  by  foreigners 
was  destroyed.  Among  the  rest  were  two  large  Roman  Catholic  cathe- 
drals, the  Eastern  and  Southern,  many  Christians  losing  their  lives. 

A  rescue  party  was  one  morning  sent  out  to  the  Southern  cathedral, 
and,  finding  the  Boxers  plundering  and  massacring  the  Christians,  it 
opened  fire,  killing  some  of  them  and  taking  others  prisoners.  A  second 
expedition  under  the  lead  of  Dr.  Morrison,  correspondent  of  the  London 
Times,  with  a  band  of  German  and  French  marines,  brought  away  a 
large  number  of  Christians  who  would  otherwise  have  been  slain. 

The  amount  of  property  destroyed  in  this  vast  organized  attack  upon 
foreigners  in  Peking  cannot  at  present  be  accurately  ascertained.  Many 
private  individuals  owned  dwellings  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  A 
large  compound  in  the  Kou  Lan  alley  belonging  to  the  imperial  mari- 
time customs,  was  fired  with  the  rest,  involving  immense  loss  to  the 
Chinese  government.  The  electric-light  works  fared  no  better  than  the 
unfinished  Imperial  bank  of  China,  and  the  new  imperial  mint.  Among 
the  property  destroyed  belonging  to  the  seven  missionary  organizations 
in  Peking  were  thirty-four  dwelling  houses,  eighteen  chapels,  twelve 
boys'  schools,  eleven  girls'  schools,  four  training  schools,  eleven  dispen- 
saries, and  eight  hospitals,  all  within  the  city  walls.     The  new  and 


T^YO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  409 

expensive  summer  house  of  the  British  legation  at  the  Western  hills, 
together  with  thirty-three  others  belonging  to  various  missions,  were 
all  looted,  burned,  and  the  materials  carried  away  to  the  adjacent 
villages.  The  establishment  of  the  Greek  church,  nearly  two  hundred 
j^ears  old,  share<l  the  fate  of  the  grand  stand  of  the  foreign  race  course. 
The  foreign  cemetery,  outside  the  P'ing-tsu  gate  of  the  northern  city, 
was  completely  wrecked,  and  an  avenue  of  large  willows  more  than 
thirty  years  old  disappeared  comjiletely,  the  trunks  being  sawed  off  near 
the  ground,  all  the  wood,  and  even  the  branches,  being  carried  away. 
The  inclosing  walls  of  the  compound  were  leveled  to  the  bottom,  the 
foundations  dug  out,  and  the  bricks  removed  for  other  uses  elsewhere. 
The  tombstones  and  monuments  were  all  overthrown  and  broken  into 
small  fragments,  while  thirteen  of  the  graves  were  opened  and  the 
bodies  dragged  out  and  burned,  as  was  shown  by  fragments  of  bones, 
bits  of  cloth,  and  metal  buttons  here  and  there,  telling  their  own  melan- 
choly story.  The  Russian  cemetery  in  a  different  locality  received  the 
same  treatment. 

The  widespread  application  of  the  torch  with  its  concomitant  oppor- 
tunities for  plunder  was  as  the  taste  of  blood  to  the  fierce  Boxer  tiger. 
The  formal  ceremonies  of  burning  incense  to  their  divinities  were  per- 
formed in  the  most  public  places  available,  and  apparently  participated 
in  by  innumerable  multitudes.  The  legations  and  the  Methodist  com- 
pound, all  lying  but  a  short  distance  from  the  city  wall,  enabled  those 
who  were  in  a  condition  of  semi-siege  to  hear  with  frightful  distinctness 
the  nocturnal  yells  of  the  vast  mob  gathered  in  the  southern  city,  shout- 
ing, "Kill  the  foreign  devils!  Kill!  Kill!  Kill!"  Those  who  listened 
to  this  bloodcurdling  shout  from  a  frenzied  multitude  can  never  forget 
the  suggestion  of  a  pandemonium,  a  rehearsal  of  hell.  The  considera- 
tion that  nothing  but  wholly  untrustworthy  Manchu  guards  at  the  city 
gate,  but  a  few  rods  distant,  prevented  the  bloodthirsty  hordes  from 
rushing  upon  the  whole  foreign  quarter  and  inundating  it  led  the  com- 
mittee in  charge  to  communicate  with  the  Minister,  who  wrote  to  the 
minor  official  in  charge  of  the  gate  asking  him  to  close  it  early,  and  in 
case  of  the  assemblage  of  a  dangerous  mob  not  to  open  it. 

To  make  sure  of  the  matter,  however,  the  committee  went  them- 
selves, well  armed,  to  the  gate  at  dusk,  saw  the  official  and  his  numerous 
soldiers,  and  gained  his  ready  consent  to  do  as  requested.  To  make  it 
more  certain  the  kej-  of  the  gate  was  requested  as  a  certificate  of  its 


410  TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL. 

being  really  locked,  and  after  >slight  demur  the  gatekeeper  actually 
brought  it  to  the  compound,  escorted  by  the  armed  committee,  and  was 
himself  escorted  back  by  a  squad  of  marines,  and  furnished  with  a  pass 
by  means  of  which  he  could  come  within  the  lines  the  next  morning,  and 
get  again  the  two-foot  long  bar  of  iron  wherewith  to  set  in  motion  once 
more  the  wheels  of  Peking  life.  The  next  day  the  Tsung-li-Yamen  sent 
a  note  to  the  Minister,  requesting  him  to  see  that  the  key  of  the  gate 
was  restored  to  its  proper  custodians,  but  the  process  above  described 
was  repeated  daily  as  long  as  the  foreign  premises  were  occupied.  Not 
only  so,  but  on  one  occasion  the  commander  of  a  troop  of  1,500  Chinese 
soldiers  asked  as  a  favor  that  the  gate  should  be  reopened  to  let  his  men 
pass  through  "to  arrest  the  Boxers"  in  the  southern  city.  But  it  was 
necessary  to  draw  the  line  somewhere,  and  it  was  considered  better  not 
to  set  a  precedent,  so  this  servant  of  the  Emperor  was  informed  that, 
the  gate  being  closed,  he  would  not  be  able  to  get  out  until  the  jiext 
day — a  reply  which  he  meekly  accepted  as  final. 

Each  day  it  became  more  and  more  difficult  to  make  purchases, 
owing  to  the  fear  of  the  country  people  and  the^  closing  of  so  many 
shops.  It  thus  became  necessary  for  purchasers  to  go  out  in  parties, 
well  armed,  the  foreign  men  frequently  acting  as  an  escort  to  the 
Chinese,  who  did  the  bargaining.  A  loaded  rifle  laid  across  his  counter 
often  had  a  marked  effect  in  stimulating  the  memory  of  a  shopkeeper 
as  to  the  availability  of  an  article  called  for,  the  cash  value  being  inva- 
riably paid.  During  this  period  of  intense  excitement  and  imminent 
danger  Legation  street  had  been  partly  barricaded  by  placing  logs 
across  it,  and  the  same  was  done  with  some  of  the  other  streets  and 
lanes.  Sentries  were  posted  at  these  points,  and  the  Italian  shell  gun 
and  the  American  Colts  automatic  were  kept  in  readiness  to  resist  an 
attack. 

On  the  17th  a  collision  took  place  between  Austrian  and  German 
troops  on  the  one  part  and  Chinese  soldiers  on  the  other,  in  which  some 
of  the  latter  were  killed.  On  the  evening  of  that  day  two  members  of 
the  Tsung-li-Yamen  called  upon  Minister  Conger,  giving  assurances  of 
"protection"  and  asking  the  withdrawal  of  our  troops.  They  were  in- 
formed that  hereafter  Americans  would  protect  themselves,  and  took 
their  leave  in  evident  alarm.  It  was  the  cue  of  the  Chinese  authorities 
at  first  to  represent  the  Boxer  movement  as  the  work  of  boys  and  peas- 
ants, and  in  its  later  stages  as  a  great  popular  uprising,  too  extensive 


T^YO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  411 

for  the  government  to  control,  and  in  the  presence  of  which  they  were 
helpless. 

The  imperial  customs  postoffice,  the  service  of  which  had  become 
more  and  more  uncertain,  ceased  sending  out  messengers,  even  in 
disguise  of  beggars,  after  June  16,  and  several  of  those  previously 
dispatched  failed  to  reach  Tientsin,  and  were  probably  killed.  During 
this  week  there  was  great  tension  of  feeling  among  all  foreigners  in 
Peking,  in  expectation  of  the  speedy  arrival  of  the  relief  column  under 
Admiral  Seymour,  which  was  known  to  have  left  Tientsin  about  the 
10th.  A  letter  received  from  Captain  McCalla  on  the  14th,  dated  less 
than  twenty  miles  from  Peking,  seemed  to  make  his  arrival  a  question 
of  but  a  few  hours.  Repeated  and  strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  send 
couriers  to  the  advancing  party  upon  which  so  many  hopes  and  fears 
hung  suspended,  but  every  messenger  returned  completely  baffled, 
reporting  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  get  through  the  network 
of  Boxers  Avho  swarmed  in  every  village.  Each  day  the  leading  topic 
of  discussion  whenever  one  foreigner  met  another  was  the  probability 
of  some  definite  intelligence  concerning  the  long-delayed  relief,  and 
each  day,  like  the  preceding,  ended  only  in  disappointment.  The  second 
letter  (written  by  a  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose)  to  the  Ameri- 
can captain  is  worth  reproducing  as  exhibiting  in  a  clear  light  the  great 
anxiety  of  those  who  had  been  so  confidently  looking  forward  to  speedy 
succor: 

"Peking,  June  17,  1900.— Captain  B.  H.  McCalla— Dear  Sir:  On 
the  morning  of  the  15th  we  dispatched  to  you  the  letter  inclosed,  giving 
the  situation  here  up  to  that  time,  feeling  sure  that,  knowing  our  perilous 
condition,  it  would  not  be  long  ere  we  should  see  you  in  the  capital.  To 
our  intense  disappointment  all  three  of  the  couriers  returned  this  morn- 
ing, saying  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  through  the  Boxer  lines.  We 
are  now  making  another  attempt,  which  we  trust  may  be  successful. 
Since  we  wrote  you  last,  ijrson  and  murders  have  extended.  There  is 
not  a  single  Protestant  mission  building  standing  in  Peking,  except  in 
this  compound  where  we  are.  As  the  second  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
cathedrals  burned,  great  numbers  of  the  Christians  were  being  killed 
and  tortured,  when  rescuers  were  repeatedly  sent  out,  who  brought 
away  about  100,  and  this  has  greatly  exasperated  the  Boxers. 

"The  beautiful  establishment  of  the  Greek  church,  200  years  old,  is 


tn  TWO    MON'THS    OF   PERIL. 

in  ruins.  Yesterday  morning  fire  was  set  to  a  sliop  in  the  southern  city 
and  the  flames  soon  spread,  owing  to  the  intense  heat  and  dryness  of 
the  buildings,  until  a  vast  tract  of  the  richest  part  of  the  southern  city 
is  in  ruins,  which  caused  intense  excitement  and  collects  all  the  most 
dangerous  elements  of  a  most  inflammable  time.  Yesterday  afternoon 
the  southern  tower  of  the  gate  of  Peking  (the  central  one,  on  the  south- 
ern face)  took  fire  and  is  now  a  mass  of  debris.  If  anything  could  add  to 
the  excitement,  this  would  be  the  event,  as  it  is  considered  ominous  for 
the  toppling  dynasty.  During  the  whole  of  yesterday  the  entire  horizon 
was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  countless  fires  in  every  direction,  and 
this  most  dangerous  weapon  the  Boxers  hope  to  use  constantly  and 
effectively  against  us. 

"Last  night  fires  were  started  even  in  Legation  street,  endangering 
both  the  British  and  the  American  legations,  in  each  of  which  buildings 
are  being  torn  down  to  guard  against  this  great  danger.  In  our  com- 
pound we  are  taking  such  precautions  as  we  can,  but  the  area  to  be 
guarded  is  so  large,  the  force  is  so  small,  and  the  number  of  human  lives 
at  stake  is  so  great,  that  we  are  greatly  fatigued,  and  many  feel  the  effects 
of  the  long  strain.  Last  night  Chinese  soldiers  fired  on  the  outposts  of 
the  Russian  and  United  States  legations,  as  we  learned  by  the  fact  that 
in  the  morning  a  gun  and  ammunition  and  part  of  a  uniform  were  found 
there.  One  of  the  main  anxieties  from  the  first  has  been  lest  the  Chinese 
troops  as  such  turn  against  us,  in  which  case  we  should  hold  out  but  a 
sliort  time,  owing  to  their  great  numbers.  Yesterday  a  large  body  of 
them  encamped  near  to  the  premises  where  we  are,  and  we  hear  of  their 
movements  in  all  directions.  A  few  days  ago  we  received  a  letter  from 
Tientsin,  telling  of  a  meeting  held  there  to  determine  on  a  united  course 
of  action,  at  which  it  was  difficult  to  reach  any  conclusion  what  to 
do.  We  were  told  that  Captain  McCalla,  with  his  customary  decision, 
remarked:  'Gentlemen,  our  Minister  is  in  danger,  and  I  am  going  to 
him.  If  any  of  the  rest  of  you  will  go,  come  with  me.'  Your  Minister 
is  in  more  danger  now  than  he  was  then,  as  also  are  all  Americans  in 
Peking,  who  greatly  long  to  see  you,  and  who  pray  God  to  speed  your 
footsteps  lest  your  arrival  may  possibly  be  too  late." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  diplomatic  corps  on  the  evening  of  June  19 
Baron  von  Ketteler,  the  German  Minister,  strongly  dissented  from  the 
almost  unanimous  opinion  of  his  colleagues  that  it  was  necessary  for  all 


TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  413 

foreigners  to  leave  Peking.  Another  adjourned  meeting  was  held  on 
the  next  morning  at  8  o'clock  to  await  the  reply  of  the  Yamen  to  a  note 
which  concluded  by  asking  for  an  interview  at  the  Yamen  at  9  o'clock, 
especially  with  the  Princes.  As  no  answer  came  the  Baron  informed 
his  colleagues  that  he  himself  would  go  in  any  case,  having  sent  a  noti- 
fication, not  requiring  a  reply,  to  that  effect  on  the  evening  previous. 
To  avoid  the  Chinese  objection  that  an  armed  escort  of  Germans  would 
excite  the  animosity  of  the  people,  and  especially  of  the  soldiers,  he  had 
determined  to  go  with  no  escort  of  any  kind  and  visibly  unarmed.  To 
the  numerous  objections  made  on  the  ground  of  the  danger,  he  replied 
that  a  Minister  on  his  way  to  the  Yamen  was  not  likely  to  be  assailed, 
especially  when  his  coming  was  known  and  awaited. 

If  the  Princes  and  Ministers  failed  to  come  to  time,  or  to  come  at  all, 
he  could  aJford  to  outwait  them,  and  he  had  provided  himself  with  a 
book  and  cigars  for  the  occasion. 

He  was  a  man  of  decided  opinions,  and  his  military  experience  may 
not  improbably  have  tinged  his  diplomatic  history.  His  determination 
to  have  an  interview  with  the  Tsung-li-Yamen  quite  independently  of 
his  colleagues  was  a  characteristic  trait,  and  was  due  to  the  conviction 
that  he  had  a  message  to  the  Yamen  of  an  important  nature,  although 
not  by  any  means  new.  He  wished  to  urge  upon  the  highest  accessible 
officials  in  the  empire  that  in  driving  the  Ministers  of  eleven  nations  out 
of  their  capital  they  were  taking  a  step  which  would  ultimately  put  an 
end  to  the  Manchoo  dynasty.  This  serious  warning,  presented  under 
ominous  aspects,  would,  he  hoped,  be  enough  to  give  them  at  least  a 
temporary  pause. 

Immediately  at  the  close  of  the  morning  meeting  of  the  diplomatic 
corps  the  German  Minister,  accompanied  by  the  interpreter,  Mr.  Cordes, 
proceeded  to  the  Yamen  in  their  usual  ofiftcial  sedan  chairs,  passing 
east  of  the  French  legation  by  the  Tai  Chi  Chang  street,  to  the  Chang 
An  Chieh,  where  they  turned  eastward  to  the  Ha  Ta  street,  which  was 
entered  just  below  the  single  memorial  arch  (Tan  Pai-lou).  For  several 
days  in  passing  through  this  street,  groups  of  soldiers  had  been  noticed 
standing  about,  but  they  had  attracted  no  special  attention  at  this  time. 

A  few  hundred  yards  north  of  the  arch  at  a  point  opposite  the  mouth 
of  the  Tsung  Pu  alley,  about  thirty  soldiers  were  posted  near  a  police 
station.  Mr.  Cordes,  who  was  behind,  noticed  the  officer  in  command, 
who  had  a  white  button  and  a  feather  in  his  cap,  step  a  little  to  one  side 


414  TTFO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL. 

of  the  rest  and  discharge  a  rifle  at  the  Minister's  chair.  The  Minister 
made  no  movement  to  leave  the  sedan,  and  was  no  doubt  immediately 
killed.  Mr.  Cordes  instantly  arose,  and  as  he  did  so  received  a  rifle  shot 
in  his  thigh,  inflicting  a  dangerous  wound.  But  for  his  rising  the  bullet 
vv^ould  have  penetrated  his  skull.  The  bearers  immediately  set  down 
the  chairs  and  fled.  The  outrider  rode  on  rapidly  to  the  Yamen  and 
gave  word  of  what  had  occurred,  while  Mr.  Cordes  summoned  up  his 
strength  to  escape,  if  possible. 

It  seemed  wholly  out  of  the  question,  as  behind  him  were  crowds  of 
soldiers,  who  at  once  opened  fire  on  him.  He  ran  toward  the  north, 
entering  the  first  alley  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  street,  and  thence 
by  devious  lanes,  pursued  for  some  distance  by  Chinese  spearmen,  made 
his  way  to  the  premises  of  the  Methodist  mission,  at  least  a  third  of  a 
mile  distant.  Here  he  saw  for  the  first  time  a  foreign  face,  and  lost 
consciousness.  He  was  at  once  taken  into  the  compound,  and  had  his 
wound  attended  to  by  Dr.  Ingram  of  Tung  Chou,  who  happened  to  be 
near  at  hand,  and  who  considered  the  probabilities  of  recovery  very 
slight.  His  escape  was  little  less  than  a  miracle,  considering  the  num- 
ber of  his  assailants  and  the  severity  of  his  injury. 

The  shot  which  killed  Baron  von  Ketteler  produced  effects  which  the 
authors  of  the  international  crime  never  intended  and  could  not  have 
foreseen.  Almost  all  the  foreigners  in  Peking  were  already  either 
within  the  legations  or  the  general  rectangle  supposed  to  be  commanded 
by  them,  or  were  at  the  Methodist  compound,  so  that  the  news  of  the 
teri'ibly  significant  tragedy  was  immediately  spread  and  its  meaning 
universally  and  instantly  appreciated.  All  thought  of  leaving  Peking 
under  any  kind  of  Chinese  escort  was  dismissed  from  every  mind,  the 
absolute  certainty  of  treachery  being  now  clearly  seen.  In  this  respect 
it  is  literally  true  that  the  death  of  the  German  Minister  was  a  vicarious 
sacrifice  which  saved  the  lives  of  all  the  other  foreigners  in  Peking. 

The  American  refugees  from  the  Methodist  compound  filed  wearily 
into  the  United  States  legation  about  noon  without  the  least  idea  of 
what  disposition  was  to  be  made  of  them.  Almost  every  one  had  come 
away  with  no  opportunity  to  make  provision  for  food  other  than  what- 
ever happened  to  be  at  hand,  but  through  the  generous  hospitality  of 
Mrs.  Squiers,  wife  of  the  first  secretary,  the  whole  large  company  was 
promptly  served  with  an  informal  luncheon.  Not  only  so,  but  her 
amply  stocked  storeroom  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  her  destitute 


TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  415 

countrymen  and  women,  who  were  generously  told  to  help  themselves 
to  whatever  was  in  sight,  a  permission  of  which  full  advantage  was 
taken,  coolies  and  carts  being  loaded  up  repeatedly  for  several  hours 
to  remove  as  much  as  possible  to  the  British  legation,  which  had  been 
fixed  as  the  general  headquarters  for  all.  It  was  largely  due  to  this 
unanticipated  and  unexampled  liberality  that  the  American  refugees 
were  able  with  some  degree  of  success  to  bear  the  privations  of  the 
siege,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  in  this  way  several  lives  were 
in  all  probability  saved  and  the  comfort  of  scores  greatly  enhanced. 
During  the  entire  siege  Mrs.  Squiers  was  pre-eminently  the  Lady  Boun- 
tiful of  the  occasion,  looking  after  the  wants  of  many  of  the  various 
nationalities  with  a  lavish  and  an  undiscriminating  hospitality  instant 
in  season  and  out. 

After  the  two  hours'  stay  in  the  United  States  legation  this  party 
was  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  British  legation,  being  assigned  to  the 
church,  a  building  centrally  situated,  but  affording  very  narrow  accom- 
modations for  so  many.  Some  of  the  number  took  the  precaution  to 
enter  the  Chinese  shops  on  Legation  street,  taking  possession  of  what- 
ever was  likely  to  prove  useful,  especially  provisions,  giving  a  receipt 
when  the  owners  were  present,  in  other  cases  merely  appropriating 
abandoned  goods.  By  this  prompt  action  much  was  secured  that  would 
subsequently  have  been  unobtainable,  and  was  ultimately  invaluable. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few,  who  remained  at  their  own  legations, 
and  the  company  besieged  already  for  four  days  in  the  Pei  T'ang,  or 
Northern,  cathedral,  the  foreign  community  of  Peking  was  now  synony- 
mous with  the  residents  of  the  British  legation.  With  the  exception 
of  those  living  within  the  legation  quadrangle  by  far  the  larger  part  of 
these  refugees,  even  including  the  customs  staff  living  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  distant,  had  saved  very  little  of  their  possessions,  some 
having  a  single  trunk,  others  a  traveling  valise,  and  here  and  there  one 
whose  clothing  was  represented  merely  by  what  he  had  on  at  the  time 
he  entered  the  legation. 

The  American  party  had  no  sooner  found  its  appointed  quarters 
than  it  was  decided  to  return  to  the  Methodist  compound  with  a  band 
of  as  many  Chinese  as  were  available  to  bring  away  as  much  as  could 
be  saved  of  the  baggage  which  the  military  panic  of  the  morning  had 
needlessly  sacrificed.  The  Streets  were  as  quiet  as  when  the  cavalcade 
had  passed  in  the  morning,  and  the  long  and  well-armed  procession  of 


416  TWO   MONTHS   OF   PERIL. 

missionaries  with  rifles  and  Chinese  with  pikes  was  unmolested.  The 
Manchoo  guard  was  found  duly  posted  at  the  outer  doors,  but  some  of 
the  neighbors  had  apparently  come  in  over  the  walls,  and  not  a  little 
looting  had  already  taken  place,  some  who  were  caught  in  the  act  being 
attacked  and  wounded  by  the  indignant  Chinese.  By  diligent  use  of  the 
available  means  of  traaisportation,  and  by  the  impressment  of  a  few 
carts  at  good  pay,  a  great  quantity  of  property  was  rescued  without 
which  the  incocivenieiices  of  the  siege  would  have  been  greatly  in- 
creased, yet  clothing  and  other  effects  worth  many  thousand  dollars 
could  not  be  removed  and  were  lost. 

There  was  a  notion  prevailing  among  the  Chinese  at  this  time  that 
at  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  soldiers  would  open  fire,  this  being 
construed  as  the  limit  of  time  within  which  the  legations  were  to  have 
left  Peking.  The  troops  were  not  supposed  either  to  know  or  to  care 
what  the  Tsung-li-Yamen  might  or  might  not  say,  but  would  take 
matters  into  their  own  hands,  and  if  the  foreign  Ministers  would  not  go 
of  their  own  accord  they  were  to  be  driven  out  by  force.  Whence  this 
rumor  originated  it  is  impossible  now  to  determine,  but  it  undoubtedly 
hastened  as  well  as  cut  short  the  salvage  of  property,  all  of  which  might 
else  have  been  brought  away  in  safety. 

Promptly  at  the  stroke  of  4  the  troops  of  General  Tung  Fu-hsiang 
opened  the  expected  rifle  fire  on  the  Austrian  legation,  and  soon  shots 
began  to  be  heard  in  every  direction,  and  every  one  hastened  to  get 
under  cover. 

Explicit  assurance  had  been  given  from  Tung  Fu  himself  to  Pro- 
fessor James  that  there  should  be  no  attack  upon  foreigners  at  this 
time,  and  implicitly  confiding  in  this  declaration  the  latter,  after  visit- 
ing the  palace  of  Prince  Su,  in  the  interest  of  the  native  Christians  to  be 
quartered  there,  was  returning  by  way  of  the  bridge  over  the  canal 
near  the  wall  of  the  imperial  city,  when  he  was  challenged  by  Chinese 
soldiers.  Professor  James  threw  up  his  hands  to  show  that  he  was 
unarmed.  What  followed  is  imperfectly  known,  but  it  is  certain  that 
he  was  taken  in  charge  by  the  soldiers  and  was  never  afterward  heard 
of,  though  subsequently  every  effort  was  made  to  ascertain  his  fate.  He 
was  a  man  of  scholarly  habits,  of  long  acquaintance  with  China,  and 
with  a  wide  knowledge  of  the  empire  and  its  people.  He  had  especially 
interested  himself  in  a  study  of  the  development  of  the  Boxer  movement, 
having  for  some  months  made  a  careful  collection  of  all  decrees  and 


TWO    MONTHS   OF   PERIL.  417 

other  documents  bearing  upon  the  subject.  The  results  of  this  labor, 
like  so  much  else  of  value,  was  lost  in  the  general  welter  of  ruin  when 
all  foreign  property  was  destroyed  on  June  13. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  process  by  which  the  palace 
of  Prince  Su  was  made  available  for  the  Christian  refugees  was  a 
gradual  one.  When  they  began  to  stream  in  on  the  afternoon  O'f  June 
20  they  were  for  some  hours  kept  in  the  wide  passage  in  front  of  the 
outer  gate  under  the  trees,  where  it  is  not  surprising  that,  hungry  and 
thirsty,  their  souls  fainted  in  them.  A  party  of  women  went  over  from 
the  British  legation  to  look  after  them,  soon  after  which  Professor 
James  opened  the  gate  and  let  them  into  the  outer  courts,  where  by  dint 
of  much  Occidental  help  rubbish  was  removed,  sweeping  and  dusting 
executed,  and  a  comfortable  place  at  last  provided  for  all  the  women 
and  children.  A  large  kitchen  was  furnished  with  every  requisite  for 
cooking,  including  an  abundance  of  coal,  and  the  expansive  divans 
afforded  accommodations  of  comparative  luxury.  It  was  at  this  juncture 
that  fire  was  opened  by  Chinese  soldiers  on  the  Austrian  legation  near 
by  and  that  Prince  Su  prudently  retired  to  the  security  of  the  imperial 
city,  his  whole  great  establishment  thereupon  becoming  the  abode  of 
the  homeless  Christians  until  they  were  driven  out  of  it  by  an  enemy 
more  irresistible  than  Boxers  and  soldiers  combined. 

East  of  the  Fu,  at  a  little  distance,  was  the  imperial  maritime 
customs  compound,  which  was  guarded  by  the  customs  volunteers. 
Across  the  street  to  the  east  was  the  Austrian  legation.  South  of  the 
legation  was  the  customs  postoffice  and  other  foreign  buildings,  and  to 
the  east  of  that  vacant  land,  south  of  which,  at  no  great  distance,  was 
the  Italian  legation.  These  various  premises  were  so  related  to  one 
another  by  contiguity,  and  by  intercepting  barricades  across  the  streets, 
that  they  appeared  to  be  defensible  for  a  long  time.  What,  then,  was 
the  surprise  and  alarm  of  the  besieged  company  to  learn  that  on  June 
21  the  Austrian  legation  had  been  hastily  abandoned  in  what,  to 
impartial  spectators,  was  indistinguishable  from  a  panic,  the  guard 
retreating  to  the  distant  French  legation,  instead  of  to  some  of  the 
much  nearer  foreign  buildings. 

Early  in  the  forenoon  it  was  announced  that  the  French  and  the 
Italians  had  likewise  given  up  their  legations,  and  their  marines,  as 
well  as  many  from  other  legations,  also  came  pouring  into  the  British 
compound,  to  the  complete  bewilderment  of  every  civilian.    An  hour 


418  TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL. 

later  it  was  ascertained  that  the  French,  Italians,  and  others  had 
resumed  their  positions,  the  utter  confusion  in  the  meantime*  showing 
the  absence  of  any  military  headship.  To  a  certain  extent  with  such  a 
cosmopolitan  community,  this  was  inevitable,  especially  while  each 
legation  was  defending  its  own  premises,  but  it  left  much  to  be  desired 
in  the  item  of  efficiency. 

In  the  very  early  hours  of  the  siege  Sir  Claude  MacDonald  applied 
to  one  of  the  Americans  whom  he  knew  for  information  as  to  whom 
among  them  he  could  depend  upon  for  assistance  in  the  innumerable 
matters  requiring  immediate  and  ceaseless  attention.  He  was  told 
that  committees  were  already  in  existence  covering  every  need,  and 
that  if  it  v/as  desired  thoroughly  competent  men  could  be  summoned 
within  five  minutes,  men  who  had  already  had  considerable  experience 
in  their  respective  duties  with  marked  success.  The  result  was  the 
appointment  within  an  hour  of  about  a  dozen  committees  on*  the  lines 
suggested,  the  previous  chairmen  being  retained,  re-enforced  by  able 
and  willing  coadjutors. 

The  general  committee,  of  miscellaneous  and  comprehensive  func- 
tions, was  engineered  by  the  indefatigable  and  versatile  talents  of  Mr. 
Tewksbury,  whose  tireless  energy  never  appeared  to  flag -even  after  the 
siege  was  raised.  The  other  members  of  the  body  were  Henry  Cock- 
burn,  Chinese  secretary  of  the  British  legation;  Mr.  Popoff  of  the  Rus- 
sian legation;  Mr.  Morisse  of  the  French  legation;  Mr.  Bredon  of  the 
customs,  and  Mr.  Hobart,  with  Mr.  Stelle  as  secretary. 

The  work  of  fortification,  which  was  independent  of  every  other 
control  than  that  of  Sir  Claude  MacDonald,  was  intrusted  to  the  Rev. 
F.  D.  Gamewell,  who  had  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  two  years  of  tech- 
nical instruction  both  in  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  institute  and  Cor- 
nell university,  with  considerable  practice  in  field  work,  his  studies 
having  been  interrupted  by  physical  disability,  which  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  other  subjects.  His  long  and  varied  experience  with  numerous 
forms  of  Chinese  construction,  with  the  management  and  adjustment 
of  Chinese  labor,  and  with  the  strength  and  possibilities  of  all  forms  of 
Chinese  materials,  made  his  services  invaluable,  and  it  is  no  exaggera- 
tion to  estimate  them  as  literally  indispensable  to  the  success  of  the 
siege  defense.  From  the  beginning  to  the  very  last  hour  he  was,  by 
means  of  a  greatly  overworked  bicycle,  endowed  with  a  limited  omni- 
presence so  far  as  related  to  the  British  legation,  early  and  late,  by  day 


TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL.  419 

and  by  night,  in  the  heat  and  in  tropical  rains,  giving  undivided  atten- 
tion to  the  single  problem  of  how  to  render  that  legation  as  nearly 
impregnable  as  the  serious  natural  disabilities  of  the  situation  rendered 
possible. 

Fortification  of  the  house  of  the  first  secretary  by  boxes  of  earth 
and  sand  bags  was  begun  with  great  vigor.  From  the  very  first,  and 
to  some  extent  throughout  the  entire  siege,  there  was  a  marked  and 
an  impressive  contrast  between  the  conduct  of  the  representatives  of 
the  Anglo-Saxons  and  many  of  the  continentals,  who. for  the  most  part 
sat  at  ease  on  their  shady  verandas,  chatting,  smoking  cigarettes,  and 
sipping  wine,  apparently  trusting  for  their  salvation  to  fate,  while  their 
more  energetic  comrades  threw  off  their  coats,  plunging  into  the  whirl 
of  work  and  the  tug  of  toil  with  the  joy  of  battle,  inherited  from  ancestors 
who  lived  a  mJllennium  and  a  half  ago. 

The  demand  for  sand  bags  began,  and  work  was  started  by  all  the 
women,  greatly  aided  by  a  few  rescued  sewing  machines,  with  an  energy 
which  speedily  turned  out  vast  numbers  of  them.  Lady  MacDonald 
pulled  down  and  sent  over  almost  all  of  the  legation  curtains  and  other 
articles  which  could  be  utilized  for  this  purpose.  On  the  supposition 
that  sand  bags  would  be  less  conspicuous  to  sharp-shooters  if  of  a  dark 
color,  desperate  and  toilful  efforts  were  made  to  dye  each  one  in  coal 
dust  dissolved  in  w^ater,  until  after  a  daj^  or  two  the  hopelessness  of  the 
undertaking  was  manifest  and  it  was  abandoned. 

Later  in  the  afternoon  there  was  an  alarm  of  fire  on  the  west  and 
outside  of  the  legation.  The  bell  on  the  tower  was  rung  as  a  signal, 
according  to  orders,  and  a  scene  of  delightful  confusion  ensued.  When 
the  flames  had  been  apparently  subdued  still  another  building  caught 
fire,  and  it  seemed  then  impossible  to  save  the  house  of  the  Chinese 
secretary,  all  of  whose  goods  and  numerous  books  were  tumbled  out 
into  the  roadways  and  upon  the  tennis  court,  forming  a  very  extensive 
public  library. 

A  line  was  formed  from  the  central  well  to  the  south  stable  court 
to  pass  the  leather  water  buckets,  w^hich,  alas!  had  shrunk  and  cracked 
until  many  of  them  were  either  leaky  or  had  lost  their  handles.  They 
were  then  supplemented  by  earthenware,  graniteware,  iron,  and  tin 
pitchers,  pails,  jars,  foot-tubs,  small  bathtubs,  teapots,  and  many  other 
incongruous  utensils,  most  of  which  started  from  the  well  only  partly 
filled,  and  by  reduplicated  jerkings  of  excited  men  and  women  from 


420  TWO    MONTHS    OF   PERIL. 

hand  to  hand  often  arrived  at  their  distant  destination  practically 
empty.  But  every  one,  of  whatever  nationality,  worked  energetically, 
wives  of  ministers  and  Chinese  coolies  side  by  side,  upon  this,  as  upon 
similar  occasions,  both  willing  and  eager  to  help. 

An  order  which  would  exactly  suit  the  Chinese  temperament  was 
issued  to  use  as  little  water  as  possible  for  ablutions,  lest  the  supply 
should  run  too  low,  a  fear  w^hich  subsequent  experience  proved  to  be 
without  grounds.  During  the  whole  time  of  the  fire  there  was  a  con- 
stant fusillade  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese,  who  hoped  to  take  advantage 
of  the  damage  done  to  breach  the  legation  walls.  During  this  attack 
the  first  life  was  lost,  a  British  private  named  Scadding  being  shot 
through  the  head. 

To  prevent  a  successful  repetition  of  this  incendiary  policy  of  the 
Chinese  it  was  decided  to  pull  down  a  temple  near  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  legation.  The  work  was  one  of  considerable  difficulty  and  not 
a  little  danger.  The  quantity  of  material  found  there  was  surprising, 
including  heaps  of  silk  stuffs,  which  was  ultimately  transformed  into 
sand  bags.  From  this  time  many  of  the  servants  made  their  appear- 
ance daily  girded  with  silken  girdles. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  one  of  the  Christians  rushed  into  the 
yard,  covered  with  dust  and  glory,  bringing  a  receipt  from  the  secre- 
taries of  the  Tsung-li-Yamen  for  the  dispatch  Avhich  the  diplomatic 
corps  had  sent  the  afternoon  before.  The  Yamen  proposed  that  any 
further  communications  should  be  forwarded  to  the  Ha  Ta  gate,  but 
this  w^as  far  outside  the  lines  and  was  wholly  inaccessible.  Forty  years 
of  continuous  diplomatic  intercourse  with  the  Chinese  government 
thus  achieved  the  triumphant  possibility  of  securing  from  the  foreign 
office,  a  mile  or  so  distant,  an  acknowledgment  of  the  receipt  of  a  docu- 
ment a  little  less  than  thirty-six  hours  after  its  reception ! 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

STORIES  OF  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE. 

[mpressions  and  Memories  of  the  Siege  of  Peking  by  One  of  the  Imprisoned  Missionaries- 
Imprisonment  in  the  British  Legation — Murder  of  the  German  Ambassador — Kighl 
Scenes  of  Horror— Hardships  and  Dangers— Living  on  Horseflesh  and  Kice — Relief  a1 
Last. 

ALWAYS  there  is  an  impre«siveness  in  the  account  of  individual 
experiences  in  times  of  stress  and  danger.  Out  of  those  two 
months  of  horror  in  Peking  have  come  descriptions  which 
will  live  in  literature  and  history  as  simple,  graphic  relations 
of  one  of  the  most  noteworthy  events  in  the  annals  of  nations.  Penned 
as  they  Avere  amid  scenes  of  carnage  and  the  threat  of  danger  worse 
than  death  they  are  of  most  powerful  personal  interest. 

A  most  excellent  account  of  the  experiences  of  the  foreigners  dur- 
ing the  siege  is  found  in  a  letter  written  by  Miss  Nellie  N.  Russel  to 
relatives  in  Chicago.  Miss  Russel  was  engaged  in  missionary  work  in 
China  for  eleven  years,  and  was  in  Peking  during  all  the  days  of  terri- 
ble suspense.    Her  letter  is  as  follows: 

"British  Legation,  Peking,  China,  Aug.  8. — My  Dear  Ones.:  Now 
that  our  troops  are  on  their  way  to  us,  I  am  going  to  begin  a  letter 
to  you,  trusting  that  when  they  come  we  can  once  more  be  put  in  com- 
munication with  the  outside  world.  For  several  weeks  now  our  world 
has  been  a  very  small  one.  Bounded  by  the  walls  of  this  legation,  with 
the  exception  of  the  three  messengers  who  have  managed  to  get  through 
the  Chinese  lines  to  Tien-Tsin  and  back,  we  know  nothing  of  the  outer 
world.  I  hardly  know  where  to  commence,  for  I  do  not  know  whether 
the  letters  sent  the  second  week  in  June,  after  we  had  all  gathered 
at  the  Methodist  mission,  ever  reached  you  or  not.  Since  June  14  v/e 
have  not  been  able  to  get  off  a  line.  I  have  written  you  of  the  terrible 
persecution  in  the  country  and  cities  near  Peking  last  winter,  but  no 
one  ever  dreamed  that  things  could  ever  reach  such  a  condition  in 
Peking. 

"We  have  here  within  our  barricades  nearly  2,000  Christians,  Prot- 
estant and  Catholic.    Three  miles  from  here  at  the  North  Catholic 

in 


422  STORIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE. 

cathedral  there  are  2,000  more  who  are  also  in  siege.  They  have  some 
French  and  Italian  soldiers  to  help  them,  and  are  well  fortified.  We 
do  not  know  whether  they  have  held  out  or  not.  We  can  get  no  vv^ord, 
and  there  has  been  fierce  cannonading  in  that  direction.  With  the 
exception  of  these  few,  we  know  absolutely  nothing  about  the  rest  of 
the  Christians.  We  have  every  reason  to  fear  the  worst,  as  we  have 
gotten  hold  of  edicts  issued  during  the  past  two  months  that  give  us 
little  hope  that  any  can  have  escaped. 

"Words  fail  me  to  attempt  a  description  of  the  horrors  of  that  night 
our  homes  were  burned,  and  the  awful  experiences  of  the  few  Christians 
who  managed  to  get  to  us  during  the  next  three  da^^s.  On  Friday, 
June  8,  we  foreigners  left  oui*  places  and  all  got  together  at  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  mission,  which  is  about  a  mile  from  here.  We  had 
tvrenly  American  marines  to  protect  us.  All  the  missionaries  were 
armed,  and  we  were  able  to  get  arms  for  a  lot  of  our  younger  Chinese 
men.  June  13,  Wednesday  evening,  at  about  7  o'clock,  some  one  rushed 
in  and  said  that  the  outer  chapel  was  all  in  flames.  This  Avas  set  by  the 
Boxers,  and  from  there  they  went  to  all  the  foreign  places,  except  the 
legations.  It  was  an  awful  night,  as  we  saw  the  flames  lighting  up 
[he  city  in  all  directions.  The  next  day  our  people  commenced  to  barri- 
cade the  place  where  we  were.  Trenches  were  dug,  spikes  driven  into 
the  ground,  and  barbed  wire  put  all  around  the  church.  We  expected 
to  make  a  sta-nd  in  the  church,  and  great  care  was  taken  to  make  it 
bullet-proof;  windows  were  filled  up,  etc.  We  took  stores  into  the 
church  and  brought  in  a  lot  of  food  for  our  Chinese.  We  had  letters 
from  Captain  McCalla,  and  looked  for  him  to  come  to  our  relief  at  least 
by  the  end  of  June. 

"Our  soldiers  came  up,  with  only  their  winter  clothes,  so  we  went 
to  work  and  made,  during  the  twelve  days  we  were  there,  twenty  coats 
and  twenty  pairs  of  pants  for  our  guard.  The  night  of  June  14  was 
horrible  beyond  description.  For  about  two  hours  thousands  of  vo-ices 
could  be  heard  in  the  southern  city  yelling  at  the  top  of  their  voices: 
"Kill,  kill,  kill!"  The  rest  of  the  words  we  could  not  hear  clearly,  but 
we  knew  well  v/hat  it  was.  If  that  insane  mass  had  had  a  leader  and 
come  in  upon  us  that  night,  not  a  foreigner  would  have  escaped.  The 
city  gate  was  locked  between  us  and  them,  but  the  key  v/as  in  the  hands 
of  the  Chinese.  After  that  night,  while  we  were  there.  Captain  Hal]  took 
his  men  and  demanded  the  key,  locking  and  unlocking  the  gates  night 


STORIES    OF   PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE.  423 

and  morning.  June  19,  about  10  o'clock,  a  letter  came  from  Major 
Conger  saying  that  the  ministers  and  all  foreigners  had  been  ordered 
out  of  the  city  at  twentj^-four  hours'  notice.  At  once  we  all  said  it 
was  a  scheme  of  the  Chinese  to  massacre  us  all,  and  we  prayed  then 
and  there  that  the  ministers  might  not  fall  into  the  trap.  Some  of  the 
men  went  to  the  legation  and  talked  the  matter  over.  The  ministers 
had  pointed  out  that  we  could  not  go,  the  railroad  was  not  working, 
and  where  could  we  get  carts  for  so  many  people?  We  missionaries 
said  we  could  not  and  would  not  leave  our  Christians  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  Only  God  knows  how  heavy  our  hearts  were  that 
night.  How  little  we  knew  how  He  would  save  us,  or  what  the  price 
was  to  be. 

"The  next  morning  all  the  ministers  were  to  go  to  the  foreign  office 
for  a  last  interview.  The  German  minister,  Baron  von  Ketteler,  with 
Ids  first  secretary,  went  a  little  earlier  than  the  others.  The  next  word 
was  that  he  was  shot  on  the  way  there,  and  the  first  secretary  wounded. 
The  first  we  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  mission  knew  of  this  tragedy 
was  when  the  secretary  was  brought  in  wounded,  and  an  order  came 
to  us  from  Captain  Hall  giving  us  twenty  minutes  in  which  to  get 
ready  to  go  to  the  legation.  We  could  take  only  what  we  could  carry 
in  our  hands.  Can  you  see  us,  that  bright  June  morning — seventy-one 
men,  women,  and  children  (foreigners),  followed  by  700  Chinese  Chris- 
tians, guarded  by  our  American  marines  (twenty-one  in  all),  the  first 
secretary  of  the  German  legation  on  a  long  chair  carried  by  a  troop  of 
German  marines — walking  that  mile,  with  our  arms  full  of  our  earthly 
belongings?  We  went  first  to  the  American  legation  and  then  came 
over  here.  This  was  about  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Across  the 
street  from  this  place  is  a  very  large  place,  owned  by  Prince  Su.  This 
some  gentlemen  succeeded  in  getting,  and  there  we  located  our  Chris- 
tians. 

"That  afternoon  about  4  o'clock  the  first  attack  on  us  here  was  made, 
and  the  bullets  fell  like  rain  for  a  few  moments.  Just  before  we  came 
here,  very  early  one  morning,  Mr.  Ament  went  in  around  the  back 
way  to  our  place  and  the  sight  made  him  sick.  The  houses,  two  churches, 
printing  office,  school  buildings,  all  were  in  ruins.  Most  of  the  brick 
of  the  walls  had  been  carried  away,  and  not  enough  wood  was  left  in 
the  place  to  make  a  toothpick,  he  said.  The  homes  of  our  Christians 
about  us  were  all  in  the  same  condition.    I  have  saved  two  or  three 


424  STORIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE. 

changes  of  underclothes,  a  black  skirt,  two  white  ones,  and  four  shirt 
Avaists.  Some  saved  a  little  more  and  others  less  than  I  did.  We  heard 
from  the  Chinese  officials  of  the  taking  of  the  forts  at  Tien-Tsin,  but 
we  did  not  believe  it,  for  it  did  not  seem  possible  such  a  thing  would 
be  done  with  the  ministers  shut  in  the  enemy's  country — and  that  a 
heathen  one — ^with  no  possible  way  out.  The  day  after  we  came  in  here 
the  custom-houses  were  fired  and  the  Austrian  legation  was  abandoned. 
The  Boxers,  flourishing  knives,  approached  the  legation,  and  the  ma- 
chine guns  were  turned  on  them,  killing  and  wounding  sixty.  This 
only  drove  them  awaj^  for  the  time.  They  started  fires  all  about  us.  The 
next  few  days  we  had  to  fight  fire.  We  ladies  formed  in  line  and  passed 
back  the  pails  and  other  receptacles  for  water.  Such  an  olio  of  articles 
for  fighting  fire  and  for  one's  life — pitchers,  large  and  small,  wash 
bowls  of  all  sizes,  pails,  tin  cans,  flower  pots,  etc.  The  Chinese  seemed 
determined  to  burn  us  out,  and  it  was  not  till  all  about  us  was  either 
burnt  by  them,  or  by  us  as  a  protection,  that  they  gave  up  that  time. 

"Back  of  the  legation  are  the  halls  of  the  scholars  and  a  building 
that  has  all  but  been  worshiped  by  the  Chinese.  Full  of  ancient  books 
and  papers,  tablets,  everything  the  Chinese  scholars  hold  with  venera- 
tion, even  this  they  sacrificed,  and  now  it  is  a  mass  of  ruins.  It  was 
a  grand  old  place,  and  it  made  our  hearts  ache  to  see  the  flames,  even 
eating  up  the  beautiful  old  trees.  That  place  was  burning  all  night, 
and  at  the  same  time  we  counted  in  front  of  us,  on  the  south  and  west 
sides,  six  other  great  fires.  What  a  sight  it  was  and  what  a  nightj 
From  June  20  to  July  17  we  had  daily  and  nightly  attacks.  Sometimes 
they  lasted  for  three  and  four  hours,  and  sometimes  only  half  an  hour — 
sometimes  on  all  sides  at  once,  and  then  again  from  only  one  side.  The 
night  attacks  came  between  midnight  and  2  a.  m.  Major  Conger  said 
some  of  them,  for  furious  firing,  exceeded  anything  he  had  experienced 
in  the  civil  war. 

"One  night  we  had  a  terrible  thunder  storm,  and  during  it  all  we 
had  a  furious  general  attack.  The  soldiers  on  the  wall  said  'it  seemed 
as  though  all  hell  had  broken  loose.'  (Our  American  soldiers  have  held 
the  wall  back  of  the  American  legation.)  Now,  while  I  am  writing,  bul- 
lets are  falling  in  our  courts  and  striking  against  the  wall.  One  just 
struck  about  ten  feet  from  the  window  near  where  I  am  sitting.  We 
have  got  so  used  to  them  that  we  don't  notice  them  as  we  are  working 
around,  unless  they  come  very  fast.    When  the  cannon  were  turned  on 


STORIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE.  425 

us,  then,  indeed,  our  hearts  grew  faint.  Besides  the  hundreds  of  thous- 
ands, of  bullets,  it  has  been  estimated  that  2,800  shot  and  shell  have 
fallen  in  our  courts.  Four  hundred  fell  in  one  day,  and  yet  not  a  man 
was  killed  by  them,  though  many  have  been  hit  by  bullets.  Between 
sixty  and  seventy  struck  this  house  we  are  in.  (I  am  in  the  ballroom 
at  the  British  legation,  with  thirteen  other  ladies.) 

"Nights  we  could  see  the  flashlight  thrown  on  us  from  the  Imperial 
city,  and,  as  two  big  cannon  are  just  back  and  a  little  east  of  us,  we 
could  see  on  the  wall  of  the  building  in  front  and  to  one  side  of  us  (Sir 
Claude  MacDonald's  sleeping-rooms)  the  flash  of  the  cannon  before  the 
shell  struck.  Some  of  the  buildings  about  us  are  peppered  by  the  bul- 
lets and  shells,  and  some  have  had  to  be  vacated.  One  shell  came 
crashing  into  the  dining-room,  making  a  big  hole  right  beside  the 
Queen's  picture.  Two  others  went  into  the  rooms  where  people  were 
in  bed  asleep,  but  they  did  not  explode.  The  children  have  little  bas- 
kets full  of  the  bullets  and  shrapnel  they  have  picked  up.  Captain 
Halladay  of  the  British  marines  is  very  ill.  He  was  shot  through  the 
lungs  while  leading  a  charge  on  the  Chinese.  Captain  Stroudt  was 
killed.  The  Japanese  have  so  far  lost  the  most  men.  How  they  have 
fought!  The  plucky,  daring  little  fellows  I  I  never  admired  them  till 
now.  I  have  been  helping  in  the  hospital,  and  it  has  been  wonderful  to 
see  the  grit  and  cheeriness  they  have.  Twenty-five  Japanese  marines 
came  up  when  the  trouble  commenced  and  now  only  three  remain  who 
have  not  been  killed  or  wounded.  The  Germans  lost  their  position  on 
the  wall  back  of  their  legation  and  have  not  been  able  to  regain  it. 
The  French  legation,  French  hospital,  and  German  legation  have  suf- 
fered terribly  from  fire,  shot,  and  shell.  I  expect  in  a  few  days  to  go 
and  see  them,  and  will  write  later  as  to  the  condition. 

"Later  (8:30  p.  m.) — Sharp  firing  at  present,  and  we  can  hear  the 
bugle  blowing.  It  may  mean  we  are  in  for  an  attack  to-night,  as 
there  has  been  more  or  less  firing  all  day,  and  if  you  could  hear  the 
bullets  whiz  now  in  our  tree  tops  or  strike  the  wall,  you  would  wonder 
how  I  could  sit  here  quietly  writing  to  you.  After  seven  weeks  of  it 
you  would  understand.  The  last  two  nights  we  have  had  sharp  attacks, 
and  we  wonder  if  it  means  that  the  foreign  troops  are  nearer,  or  where 
they  are.    The  bugle  still  keeps  blowing. 

"Our  men  have  been  counter-mining  for  weeks  and  strengthening  all 
the  weak  places  in  our  walls.    What  we  fear  is  the  enemy  being  de- 


i26  STORIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE, 

feated  and  driven  back  into  tlie  city.  We  ladies  have  made  thousands 
of  sandbags.  They  are  made  of  cloth,  silk,  satin,  velvet,  legation  cur- 
tains— in  fact,  everything,  even  to  taking  garments.  Satin  and  silks 
of  the  most  beautiful  shades,  some  beautifully  embroidered  curtains, 
table  cloths,  sheets,  pillow  cases,  etc.,  etc.  These  have  saved  many  and 
many  precious  lives.  The  v^alls  about  the  legation  are  about  fifteen 
feet  high,  and  these  are  now  doubly  strong.  The  firing  is  growing  so 
bad  I  think  I  will  stop  now. 

"Aug.  9. — We  had  a  fearful  night.  Three  sharp  attacks,  and  then 
incessant  firing  all  the  rest  of  the  time.  Branches  and  leaves  are  all 
over  the  ground  this  forenoon.  It  is  reported  that  the  soldiers  who 
have  been  firing  on  us  have  been  sent  out  to  fight  the  foreign  troops, 
and  these  are  new  ones.  I  suppose  they  thought  they  would  see  what 
they  could  do  and  make  a  record  for  themselves.  Men  were  working  in 
the  trenches  outside  the  front  gate  all  night.  The  plan  is  to  mount  a 
cannon  outside.  When  the  legation  guards  came  they  brought  ma- 
chine guns  with  them,  but  no  cannon.  So,  when  the  Chinese  cannon 
was  mounted  and  turned  on  us,  the  soldiers  longed  for  a  cannon.  The 
machine  guns  would  not  do. 

"One  day  some  Chinese  in  searching  around  a  Junk  shop,  within  our 
lines,  found  an  old  cannon  that  had  been  used  in  the  war  in  'G4  with  the 
French  and  English.  Great  was  the  rejoicing  on  the  part  of  all.  We 
felt  it  a  special  providence  in  our  behalf.  They  got  the  cannon  over 
here,  found  in  the  Italian  legation  an  old  gun  carriage,  and  mounted  it 
on  that.  Then  the  next  question  was  what  could  they  use  in  it.  The 
Russians  then  let  it  be  known  that  their  machine  gun  had  been  left  in 
Tien-Tsin  and  that  they  had  a  lot  of  shell.  They  tried  the  shell  and  it 
was  just  what  they  wanted.  Then  the  question  was,  who  would  ven- 
ture to  fire  it  off — thirty  years  and  more  unused !  Mitchell,  the  Ameri- 
can gunner,  said,  'I  will,'  and  great  was  the  excitement  over  the  first 
shell.  Mitchell  said  afterward  he  gave  up  his  life  in  thought,  for  he 
expected  an  explosion.  Instead,  the  first  shell  went  crashing  through 
three  walls  and  tore  a  great  hole  in  the  barricade  at  the  Imperial  city. 
With  glasses,  the  captain  could  see  the  Chinese  running  in  all  direc- 
tions. Great  was  their  astonishment,  for  they  knew  we  had  no  cannon. 
This  one  has  been  named  'The  International'  (called  Betsy  by  the  ma- 
rines, for  short). 

"The  Chinese  soldiers  on  the  wall  have  a  great  fear  of  our  American 


STORIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE.  427 

Colt's  rapid-firing  gun.  They  made  an  attempt  to  rush  it  one  night  in 
the  early  days,  but  when  they  saw  the  deadly  work  they  could  not 
retreat  fast  enough.  In  the  compound,  across  the  street,  where  our 
Christians  were  first  located,  the}'  allowed  the  Chinese  to  dig  holes  and 
enter,  and  then  killed  them  to  a  man.  They  have  learned  some  very 
serious  lessons  the  past  two  months.  It  must  be  an  eye-opener  to  them, 
that  a  few  hundred  could  hold  out  against  their  thousands  and  an 
entire  city.  They  said  at  first  that  in  two  days  we  would  all  be  in 
their  hands,  and  it  is  now  two  months.  But  it  has  not  been  by  might 
or  power  of  man,  but  of  God.  There  have  been  as  wonderful  provi- 
dences and  miracles  as  in  the  leading  of  the  Jews  out  of  Egypt.  Can 
you  think  of  what  it  means  to  feed  over  3,000  people  a  day,  and  no  time 
to  prepare  and  stock  in  for  such  an  experience  as  we  are  having?  There 
were  within  our  barricades  two  small  foreign  stores.  These  goods  have 
all  been  confiscated,  but  they  were  not  many.  Within  our  boundaries 
were  a  few  Chinese  grain  shops.  Then,  in  some  of  the  buildings  which 
have  been  burned  down  food  was  found.  There  are  four  or  five  good 
wells  of  water,  and  no  danger  of  their  being  poisoned.  We  have,  by 
careful  living,  food  enough  to  last  three  weeks  longer.  Of  course,  it  is 
food  very  different  from  what  we  would  have  if  in  our  homes. 

"The  only  meat  has  been  horse  meat,  until  yesterday,  when  a  cow 
was  killed.  The  horses  belonged  to  the  legation  people,  and  there  are 
enough  to  last  ten  days  more.  I  believe  they  kill  two  a  day.  Then  we 
have  rice  and  graham  bread.  Our  butter  long  ago  gave  out,  except 
for  use  once  a  day.  We  have  no  milk  for  tea  or  coffee.  Sugar  is  limited 
to  so  much  a  day.  Now  and  then  we  open  some  cans  of  fruit  or  vege- 
tables for  one  meal.  As  a  rule,  people  have  kept  up  fairly  well  as  to 
health.  Five  little  children  have  died,  and  two  or  three  more  are  quite 
ill.  One  of  the  great  providences  is  the  cool  summer.  I  have  never 
known  anything  like  it  since  I  came  to  China.  It  has  been  our  salva- 
tion. Also,  the  lack  of  rain  has  been  a  blessing.  There  has  been  just 
enough,  but  not  the  terrible  downpours  day  after  day  of  the  rainy 
season.     There  were  many  providences  the  day  of  the  fires. 

"The  morning  of  the  day  when  the  Hall  of  the  Scholars  was  set  on 
fire,  one  of  the  captains  said:  'If  they  fire  that  building  to-day,  with 
this  strong  wind  blowing  in  our  direction,  there  is  no  hope  for  us.' 
About  noon  the  wind  suddenly  changed,  and,  while  we  were  remarking 
on  the  change,  the  flames  and  smoke  from  that  place  came  up  above 


428  ST0RIE8    OF   PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE. 

our  walls.  Our  soldiers  dug  a  hole  through  our  wall  into  the  court  a.i.l 
charged  the  enemy,  but  while  driving  them  out  could  not  put  out  the 
lire;  and,  indeed,  did  not  care  to  if  it  did  not  catch  us.  Another  time 
they  set  fires  all  around  our  Christians,  and  we  were  fearful  they  were 
going  to  get  that  place.  If  they  did,  and  turned  their  guns  on  us  from 
there,  it  would  not  take  long  to  batter  us  down.  The  good  hand  of  our 
God  was  upon  us,  and  one  fire  went  out  and  we  managed  to  get  the 
Christians  all  into  other  places. 

"Now,  while  the  houses  in  that  place  have  all  been  burned  with  fire 
brands,  our  soldiers  still  hold  a  part  of  it,  and  it  is  the  part  that  pro- 
tects our  front  wall.  The  Chinese  barricade  came  up  to  within  four  feet 
of  ours,  and  the  Chinese  soldiers  were  so  daring  that  they  even  threw 
stones  and  brick  over.  Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  have 
two  opposing  forces  held  outposts  so  close  to  each  other.  At  last  our 
men  saw  the  Chinese  were  going  to  make  an  attack  before  long,  and 
they  concluded  they  would  give  them  a  surprise.  At  3  a,  m.,  July  3, 
they  made  a  dash,  and  it  was  a  grand  victors^,  won  by  the  Americans, 
as  the  Russians,  who  were  to  help,  failed  to  carry  their  side. 

"Our  fellow  protectors  are  laid  to  rest  in  the  Eussian  legation,  and 
one  night  one  of  our  men  had  to  be  laid  in  his  last  resting  place,  but 
things  were  so  serious  not  an  American  could  be  spared  from  his  post 
to  dig  the  grave,  and  it  was  turned  over  to  some  Chinese.  A  Eussian 
soldier,  seeing  this,  did  it  himself,  saying,  'He  was  my  brother;  we 
fought  together  on  the  wall;  let  me.'  A  young  Chinese  man  standing 
near,  with  eyes  full  of  tears,  said:  'It  kills  me  to  think  these  brave 
men  have  come  from  a  foreign  land  to  protect  us  against  our  brothers, 
our  own  countrymen.' 

"There  are  sixteen  nations  represented  in  this  siege — America,  Aus- 
tria, Belgium,  Denmark,  England,  France,  Finland,  Germany,  Italy, 
Japan,  Norway,  Eussia,  Spain,  Sweden,  Portugal,  and  China,  There 
are  414  foreigners. 

"August  10. — This  morning  at  3  o'clock  we  had  a  furious  attack 
(rifle  attack).  The  cannon  have  all  been  sent  out  of  the  city  to  meet 
the  foreign  army.  Bullets  struck  the  skylight  in  the  hall  and  the 
glass  came  crashing  down  with  a  terrible  noise.  Our  machine  guns 
were  turned  on,  but  I  have  not  heard  whether  many  of  the  enemy  were 
killed.  In  fact,  we  could  not  know,  as  they  fight  from  sheltered  places. 
lOne  day,  when  we  first  came  in,  I  had  a  look  at  the  street  after  a  serious 


STORIES    OF   PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE.  429 

attack.  We  could  see  only  a  small  part  from  the  loop-hole,  but  one 
glance  was  enough  for  me.  There  were  dead  men  and  dead  horses 
all  along  the  bridge.  Yesterday  Captain  von  Stroudt  caught  men,  just 
outside  our  wall,  digging  a  mine.  He  drove  them  ofi!  and  succeeded 
in  getting  their  bag  of  powder. 

"Sunday  Night,  Aug.  12. — I  have  been  sick  in  bed  the  last  two  days, 
and  so  have  not  written  on  my  letter.  This  is  the  third  sick  spell  I 
have  had  within  two  weeks.  We  heard  on  Friday  that  our  troops  w^ere 
half-way  to  us.  Had  had  two  battles  and  expected  to  reach  us  either 
Aug.  13  or  14.  Now,  while  I  am  writing,  we  are  in  the  midst  of  a  furi- 
ous attack.  It  is  the  fifth  or  sixth  one  we  have  had  to-day.  Our  men 
estimate  that  they  have  killed  100  Boxers  and  many  soldiers.  To-day 
our  men  on  the  wall  report  hearing  heavy  cannonading  to  the  south- 
east. That  is  where  the  Chinese  expected  to  meet  our  troops  to-day, 
and  we  expect  there  is  a  big  battle  on  there.  Our  men  also  say  they 
have  seen  thousands  of  soldiers  leaving  the  city  to-day,  and  the  cavalry 
going  out  on  the  run.  Our  men  fired  on  them,  but  it  was  a  range  of 
1,100  yards,  and  they  do  not  know  how  much  damage  they  did. 

"Last  night,  about  11  o'clock,  we  had  a  fierce  attack  for  a  short 
time.  The  bullets  went  singing  through  the  trees  and  striking  walls. 
Just  now  one  struck  in  front  of  this  door  and  some  of  the  roof  tile 
came  falling  down.  In  the  midst  of  the  attack  last  night  the  Italian 
soldiers  put  their  fingers  in  their  mouths  and  whistled.  The  British 
marines  took  it  up  and  shouted  'Bravo!'  The  sound  was  tremendous 
and  the  firing  ceased  at  once,  and  we  had  quiet  for  over  an  hour,  when 
they  took  it  up  again.  One  German  and  one  Frenchman  were  killed 
in  the  attack;  one  Austrian  and  one  Prussian  wounded.  I  have  not 
heard  how  things  have  gone  this  afternoon  in  the  attacks.  We  have  to 
stay  indoors,  as  the  bullets  are  too  thick  for  any  one  who  is  not  on  duty 
to  be  out.  The  old  International,  the  'Betsy,'  and  the  English  machine 
gun  are  speaking  now,  and  have  been  for  some  time.  We  hear  a  big 
battle  was  fought  at  Chang  Chia  Wan,  four  miles  from  Tung  Chow,  Fri- 
day night  and  yesterday.  Our  troops  'did  not  play  fair,'  but  came  in 
behind  the  enemy  while  the  advance  guard  held  their  attention  in 
front.  It  is  reported  3,000  were  killed.  We  are  not  ten  parts  certain 
of  this  story,  but  the  fierce  attacks  on  us  to-day  make  us  believe  it  is 
true. 

"It  is  impossible  to  enumerate  the  mercies  of  these  awful  weeks.  Our 


430  STORIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE. 

hearts  are  full  of  thanksgiving.  Twice  the  officials  have  sent  word 
that  the  Christians  must  be  given  up,  but  they  have  received  a  fitting 
answer.  What  will  be  done  with  them  and  us  when  the  troops  come 
is  a  question  we  cannot  answer.  Word  came  last  night  that  Li  Hung 
Chang  had  been  given  power  to  settle  the  affairs  with  the  natives  by 
telegraph.  It  cannot  be  that  the  foreign  governments  will  believe  a 
word  of  any  of  the  lies  that  have  been  sent  to  them.  Twice  presents 
of  fruit  have  come  from  the  Emperor,  and  we  judge  by  a  telegram  that 
came  to  Sir  Robert  Hart  that  they  have  reported  that  they  were  pro- 
tecting and  feeding  us.  We  hear  the  Dowager  Empress  has  300  carts 
waiting  day  and  night.  In  event  of  our  troops  coming  to  the  city,  she 
expects  to  run  away  to  the  west.  A  spy  went  out  and  got  for  one  of  the 
gentlemen  the  Peking  Gazette  for  the  past  two  months.  We  see  that, 
less  than  a  week  ago,  the  only  two  officials  of  the  reform  party  have 
lost  their  heads.  If  they  don't  take  the  head  of  this  woman  and  the 
leaders  of  this  conservative  party  there  will  be  no  help  for  China, 

"The  night  of  July  13,  beginning  about  6:30  o'clock,  we  had  for  three 
hours  a  most  terrific  attack.  Nothing  in  battle,  as  far  as  sound,  could 
equal  it.  Three  mines  were  exploded  in  the  French  legation,  blowing 
up  houses,  killing  and  injuring  foreigners  as  well  as  some  of  the  enemy. 
A  part  of  a  shell  came  into  the  hospital  and  struck  one  of  the  beds, 
but  did  not  injure  the  sick  man.  Several  spent  ones  struck  our  porch. 
We  rushed  around  in  the  most  horrible  din,  making  new  beds,  feeling 
around  in  the  dark  after  things  because  the  windows  had  been  filled 
with  sand  bags.  Flames  burst  out  at  the  French  legation,  also  at  the 
German  and  French  hotels.  The  shot  and  shell  of  the  Chinese  cannon 
were  not  good  and  did  not  fit  their  guns  well,  or  we  should  long  ago 
have  been  reduced.  Our  poor  wounded  men  were  so  brave — helpless, 
and  yet  strong  in  spirit — during  those  awful  hours  of  attack. 

"When  it  was  found  that  cannon  had  been  mounted  and  turned  on 
us  the  men  went  to  work,  and,  with  the  help  of  the  Chinese,  dug  great 
pits  and  covered  them  over  as  a  place  for  us  to  retreat  in  case  the 
buildings  were  battered  down.  That  was  before  we  found  that  they 
were  not  good  marksmen  and  their  shells  poor.  How  we  prayed  that 
we  might  not  be  reduced  to  that!  And  we  have  not  been.  Twice  the 
officials  have  sent  word  in  regard  to  our  going  to  Tien-Tsin.  The  foreign 
representatives  have  declined  to  do  so  without  orders  from  their  home 


STOBIES    OF   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE,  431 

governments.  The  morning  of  July  16  Captain  Stroudt  was  killed 
(first  captain  of  English  marines),  also  another  British  marine. 

"That  night,  while  at  the  funeral,  a  flag  of  truce  came,  and  yet,  while 
they  were  at  the  gate,  shot  and  shell  came  flying  over  our  heads,  making 
us  decidedly  uneasy  during  the  service.  A  shrapnel  struck  the  tree 
under  which  five  or  six  of  us  were  standing,  and  you  can  imagine  we 
moved  out  rather  quickly.  Sixty  foreigners  have  been  killed  and  140 
wounded  during  these  days.  More  than  half  have  been  picked  off  by 
sharpshooters.  One  of  our  marines  v/as  a  sharpshooter  from  Missouri, 
and  he  brought  down  four  with  seven  bullets.  Poor  fellow!  he  was 
brave,  and  led  an  attack  on  the  wall  which  saved  our  lives,  but  he  lost 
his  own  life. 

"Prince  Tuan  is  the  one  more  responsible  than  any  one  else  for  all 
this  trouble.  He  openly  said  he  expected  to  line  his  cart  with  the  skins 
of  foreign  devils.  Then  and  then  only  would  he  be  satisfied.  If  he  does 
net  find  himself  minus  a  head,  then  I  am  mistaken. 

"August  13 — Last  night  I  gave  up  writing,  the  firing  made  me  so 
nervous,  and  then  we  dared  not  have  a  light,  it  got  so  bad.  The  night 
was  simply  beyond  words.  All  day  there  was  firing,  and  several  at- 
tacks. About  7  o'clock  in  the  evening  it  was  bad  and  simply  grew 
worse  till  3  o'clock  this  morning;  then  we  had  a  let-up  of  an  hour  or  so, 
and  then  they  stai-ted  in  again.  Thousands  of  bullets  struck  all  about 
us.  One  came  into  our  room  through  the  window,  but  did  not  hit  any 
one.  One  struck  just  over  the  window  and  brought  down  some  tiles, 
and  several  struck  on  the  roof.  All  our  west  barricades  were  badly 
injured,  and  it  will  take  all  day  to  repair  them.  Our  three  machine 
guns  and  cannon  were  all  working.  It  is  simply  wonderful  that  tens 
of  thousands  of  bullets  could  be  fired  and  only  one  man  killed.  The 
French  captain  was  instantly  killed.  The  Chinese  simply  point  their 
guns  in  our  direction  and  fire.  They  have  some  fine  marksmen  among 
them,  but  not  many.  Captain  Van  Stroudt,  the  leader  now  of  the  Eng- 
lish marines,  had  been  instructing  the  Chinese  soldiers,  but  he  said 
some  months  ago  he  saw  v\'hat  was  coming  and  resigned  his  post.  Our 
American  flag,  also  the  Russian  flag,  has  been  raised  on  the  wall  to-day. 
I  do  hope  our  troops  will  come  in  to-day.  It  does  not  seem  as  if  we 
could  endure  another  night  like  last  night.  Our  first  month  here,  many 
of  us  did  not  think  of  undressing. 

"August  14 — Last  night  was  the  most  horrible  of  all.     Can  you 


432  STORIES    OF   PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE. 

imagine  six  or  seven  liours  of  bullets  by  the  thousands,  five  machine 
guns,  all  working  at  one  time,  and  with  it  all  the  cannon  and  bullets  of 
an  enraged  enemy?  About  2  a.  m.  we  heard  the  distant  roar  of  our 
troops,  and  now  shells  are  bursting  in  the  city  on  the  east  side,  and 
our  troops  are  reported  within  three  miles.  It  seems  almost  more  than 
we  can  endure,  Now  our  relief  is  in  sight  our  strength  is  gone — I  mean 
our  physical  strength.  We  may  have  another  bad  night,  for  the  troops 
may  not  be  able  to  get  in  the  city  to-day.  One  shell  burst  in  Sir  Claude 
Macdonald's  sleeping-room.  One  German  was  killed,  our  American 
gunner,  Mitchell,  was  seriously  injured,  and  two  other  marines  were 
also  injured.  Our  soldiers  heard  the  Chinese  officers  urging  on  their 
men  to  rush  our  walls  last  night,  but  they  did  not  get  up  their  courage 
to  do  it.  Our  big  guns  were  put  on  the  weaker  places,  and  sent  volley 
after  volley  into  their  barricades, 

"August  15 — Yesterday  afternoon  the  first  of  our  relief  party 
reached  us.  The  newspapers  will  be  full  of  all  that  is  going  on.  Words 
fail  me  to  tell  of  our  joy,  I  cannot  write  more,  as  I  have  been  in  bed 
most  of  the  day.  The  cannon  are  booming  all  about  us,  and  I  hear  the 
troops  are  entering  the  imperial  city  this  afternoon,  God  has  more 
than  blessed  us,  and  wonderful  has  been  our  preservation." 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 
CHRONICLES   OF   HORROR. 

Sttflferings  of  Isolated  Missionaries  Tlirougliout  the  Empire — Escape  of  the  Queen  Party — 
Torture,  Starvation  and  Death— Seventeen  Days  in  a  Coffin— The  Story  of  Father  Fri- 
della— Perilous  Journeys  to  the  Coast — Russian  Atrocities  in  Manchuria — French  Cruel- 
ties at  Tungchau— Massacres  by  the  Germans. 

WHILE  the  besieged  multitude  in  the  British  Legation  was 
undergoing  weeks  of  suspense,  waiting  for  rescue,  else- 
where in  the  empire  other  parties  of  missionaries,  fewer 
in  number  and  more  helpless  still  because  of  their  isola- 
tion, were  passing  through  sufferings  and  trials  of  the  most 
extreme  sort.  Only  some  of  the  more  conspicuous  pf  these 
can  be  related.  The  whole  can  never  be  recorded.  Martyrdom 
and  Christian  courage  set  noble  examples  to  the  barbarous  mobs  that 
tortured  to  death  men  and  women  who  had  no  other  purpose  than  to 
bear  to  them  the  Christian  faith. 

When  the  stoiy  of  the  period  of  blood  and  massacre  in  China  is  told 
few  of  its  chapters  will  be  as  startling  as  the  narrative  of  the  Green 
party,  which  was  found  almost  dead  by  the  allied  expedition.  Its  tale 
of  hardship  and  abuse  and  almost  miraculous  preservation  has  leaked 
to  the  outer  world  in  bits. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green,  members  of  the  China  Inland  Mission,  with 
their  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  5  and  3  years  old,  respectively,  and 
Miss  Greig,  an  assistant,  were  stationed  at  Huailu,  a  small  town  120 
miles  south  of  Paotingfu.  During  the  first  week  of  July  news  of  mas- 
sacres of  missionaries  were  received  in  Paotingfu  and  also  news  of  the 
destruction  of  the  missions  at  Shuntifu,  Chaochi  and  Shenyvi  and  of  the 
moving  of  the  troops  from  the  Shansi  province  toward  Tientsin  to  attack 
the  foreigners.  Hearing  of  the  state  of  affairs,  the  little  party  moved 
away  to  the  mountains  on  the  advice  of  the  mandarin  to  go  into  hiding. 
They  took  with  them  only  a  few  bare  necessities,  carrying  the  children 
asleep  in  their  arms,  and  were  conducted  by  two  or  three  Chinese  serv- 
ants to  a  Chinese  temple  a  short  distance  back  in  the  hills. 

They  remained  two  days  and  were  informed  by  the  villagers  who 

433 


434  CHB0NICLE8    OF   HOBBOB. 

used  the  temple  that  they  must  leave  at  once.  They  were  also  told  that 
their  home  had  been  destroyed  and  the  site  made  the  headquarters  of 
a  Boxer  camp.  Some  friendly  Chinese  showed  the  party  a  small  cave 
a  little  distance  from  the  temple,  where  it  remained  secreted  for  two 
days  and  three  nights,  suffering  the  utmost  discomforts,  the  hiding  place 
being  only  about  six  feet  by  four,  with  water  dripping  from  the  roof. 

While  the  party  lay  in  the  cave  the  Boxers  were  seen  and  heard 
searching  the  mountains  for  the  "foreign  devils."  On  the  third  day  their 
servants  discovered  them  and  led  them  to  a  farmhouse,  where  the  family 
lived  in  one  small  room  for  a  month,  not  daring  to  stir  from  the  retreat 
by  day  and  only  with  the  greatest  caution  by  night. 

August  13  the  Boxers  discovered  the  hiding  place,  from  which  the 
host  had  made  a  tunnel  to  a  cave  a  short  distance  away.  The  Boxers 
demanded  that  the  little  band  be  given  up  to  them.  Hearing  that  his 
benefactor  was  being  beaten  and  tortured,  Mr.  Green  determined  to 
give  himself  up  and  do  what  he  could  to  save  his  wife,  his  little  ones  and 
Miss  Greig. 

As  the  missionary  appeared  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave  he  was  shot 
in  the  face  with  a  charge  of  fine  pellets.  Wounded  and  bleeding,  he 
pleaded  for  the  women  and  children,  but  with  no  avail.  The  Boxers 
ordered  them  from  the  tunnel  and  the  frightened  women  came  forth, 
expecting  death  or  worse. 

Knives  and  swords  were  held  over  their  heads  and  all  their  posses- 
sions were  taken  from  them,  except  their  clothing.  They  were  made  to 
march  to  Huailu,  their  former  home.  They  were  met  by  the  mandarin 
upon  whose  advice  they  had  gone  into  hiding.  This  man  beat  and 
abused  Mr.  Green  and  reproached  him  for  not  coming  to  him  for  advice 
and  protection.  The  mandarin  said  he  would  send  the  party  to  Cheng- 
tingfu,  Avith  an  escort  of  imperial  troops.  He  assured  them  they  would 
receive  ample  protection  at  Chengtingfu. 

The  party  was  placed  in  rough  wood  four-wheeled  carts  and  started 
on  the  journey.  About  three  miles  out  the  travelers  were  overtaken 
by  the  Boxers  who  had  originally  captured  them,  and,  reaching  Cheng- 
tingfu, v/ere  refused  admission  to  the  city  because  of  their  escort.  For 
three  days  and  nights,  without  stop  except  at  rare  intervals,  to  partake 
of  native  food,  they  were  carted  through  the  country  to  Paotingfu. 

Abused,  mistreated  and  suffering,  the  place  literally  swarming  wit]i 
Boxers  demanding  their  lives,  the  hapless  prisoners  were  escorted  to 


CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR.  435 

the  yamen  of  the  chief  magistrate,  Ting  Yuen,  who  refused  to  receive 
them.     Then  occurred  a  strange  incident. 

The  chief  Boxer  himself  pleaded  for  his  prisoners  and  induced  Ting 
Yuen  to  come  and  speak  to  Mr.  Green.  He  expressed  sorrow  at  seeing 
the  condition  of  the  prisoners,  and  said  he  would  send  them  to  Tientsin 
under  an  escort  of  imperial  troops  and  with  his  official  passports.  He 
also  offered  to  provide  them  with  sufficient  money  to  secure  food  on  the 
journey. 

That  morning  they  were  taken  to  a  boat,  but  found  neither  troops 
nor  passports.  They  were,  in  fact,  again  in  the  hands  of  the  Boxers, 
who  took  them  some  thirty  miles  down  the  river,  and  Wednesday  after- 
noon landed  them  in  a  marsh  covered  with  high  reeds  and  informed 
them  that  Ting  Yuen  had  ordered  that  they  should  be  put  to  death  and 
their  bodies  disposed  of. 

At  this  time  the  children  were  undoubtedly  the  means  of  saving  the 
lives  of  the  entire  party,  for  the  same  Boxer  who  had  previously  inter- 
ceded for  them  and  had  evidently  conceived  a  great  friendliness  for  the 
little  ones,  cried  and  told  Mr.  Green  they  must  try  to  reach  Tientsin 
alone.     He  then  left  them  and  took  the  boat  away. 

The  money  which  had  been  provided  for  their  subsistence  was  in  the 
copper  cash  of  the  country  and  was  too  bulky  to  carry;  therefore,  the 
little  band  was  left  entirely  helpless  in  the  vast  swamp.  To  help  the 
misery,  violent  storms  arose,  and  toward  evening,  as  they  shivered  in 
their  hiding  place,  the  Christians  heard  bands  of  Boxers  scouring  the 
swamp  in  search  of  them,  their  presence  having  been  discovered  by  some 
villagers.  As  night  fell,  Mr.  Green,  almost  helpless  from  his  wounds, 
made  his  way,  accompanied  by  the  others,  to  a  house  and  was  told  by 
the  owner  that  a  friend  of  his  would  take  them  to  Tientsin.  Then  he 
left,  ostensibly  to  get  a  boat  and  make  arrangements  for  their  escape. 

After  a  while  the  villagers  returned,  bringing  not  the  promised  aid, 
but  a  large  party  of  Boxers.  The  mob  burst  in  the  doors  of  the  hut  and 
unmercifully  beat  with  swords  and  staves  Mr.  Green,  the  women  and 
children.  Almost  insensible,  despairing  and  hopeless,  the  little  party 
gave  up,  but  other  cruelty  was  in  store  for  them. 

The  Boxers  decided  to  take  their  captives  to  a  village  a  mile  away 
and  devised  a  means  of  transporting  and  torturing  them  at  the  same 
time.  Mr.  Green's  left  hand  w^as  bound  to  his  left  foot;  Mrs.  Green  and 
Miss  Greig  were  tied  hands  to  feet,  left  hand  to  left  foot  and  right  hand 


436  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR. 

to  right  foot,  and  the  little  girl  was  treated  the  same  way.  fepear  han- 
dles were  then  thrust  under  their  armpits  and  they  were  carried  to  their 
destination.    The  little  boy  was  slung  across  the  back  of  a  man. 

In  the  village  of  Sinan  they  were  thrown  down,  bound,  in  the  filthy 
mud  of  a  courtyard  and  examined  as  to  their  identity.  Their  story  was 
laughed  at,  the  examiners  refusing  to  believe  that  any  "foreign  devils" 
had  been  let  go  by  the  Boxers,  and  a  deputation  was  sent  to  Paotingfu 
to  ascertain  the  truth  and  determine  the  fate  of  the  captives.  On  the 
third  day  the  deputation  returned  and  the  captives  were  told  that  Ting 
Yuan  had  previously  ordered  their  death  and  now  repeated  his  sen- 
tence. 

Fortunately,  there  were  two  sections  of  Boxers,  civil  and  militai^y. 
The  civil  section  had  heard  of  the  defeat  of  the  Boxers  at  Taku  and 
elsewhere  and  ordered  the  prisoners  to  be  kept  alive  to  be  used  as 
hostages,  should  the  allies  be  sent  to  destroy  the  city  of  Paotingfu,  but 
should  no  such  movement  be  made  they  would  consent  to  the  death  of 
the  foreigners.     To  this  policy  the  little  party  owes  salvation. 

For  seventeen  days  Fra  Fridella,  an  Italian  musician  priest,  sta- 
tioned at  Hen-Sien-Fu,  in  southern  Hunan,  hidden  in  a  coffin,  feigned 
death  to  escape  from  the  Boxers.  Ue  escaped,  but  at  bitter  cost,  for  on 
his  arrival  at  Hongkong  he  was  a  wrecked  and  broken  man.  Scarcely 
a  chance,  the  physician  told  him,  had  he  of  recovering  his  bodily  or 
mental  vigor,  lost  in  that  fearful  journey  on  a  river  filled  with  floating 
corpses  and  lined  with  fanatics,  beyond  whose  watchful  eyes  but  few 
Europeans  were  able  to  pass. 

It  was  not  until  Father  Fridella  had  seen  his  Bishop  and  six  of  his 
fellow  priests  tortured  by  fiendish  Chinese  methods  that  he  realiz<?d  the 
seriousness  of  the  rebellion.  Previously  he,  in  company  with  his  asso- 
ciates, had  laughed  it  off  as  a  thing  of  too  little  significance  to  notice. 
Sporadic  outbreaks  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  far  too  frequent  to 
allow  the  priests  to  desert  their  charges  at  the  first  news  of  an  uprising. 
Riots  would  be  incited  against  the  "foreign  devils,"  one,  perhaps  two, 
would  be  killed,  the  foreign  governments  would  take  satisfaction  in  varj^- 
ing  degrees,  according  to  which  government  it  might  be;  the  villagers, 
thoroughly  cowed,  would  again  subside  into  their  sullen  acquiescence 
to  the  existing  order  of  things,  and  again  there  would  be  peace  for  a 
time. 

When  the  alarming  news  of  the  work  of  the  Boxers  reached  the  Ital- 


CHRONICLES   OF   HORROR.  437 

ian  settlement,  therefore,  but  little  heed  was  paid  the  warning  that 
friendly  natives  gave  the  inmates,  and  the  work  continued  serenely.  It 
was  only  a  few  days  after  the  first  intimation  that  the  storm  broke. 

A  horde  from  the  north  sw^ept  down  upon  the  village  in  which  the 
mission  w^as  located,  with  torch  and  sword,  putting  flame  to  the  houses 
and  torture  to  the  occupants. 

By  a  ruse  the  buildings  of  the  religionists  were  captured  and  most 
of  the  priests  taken.  Several  succeeded  in  concealing  themselves  and 
so  remained  unnoticed. 

These  were  six  men,  among  whom  was  Fra  Fridella,  and  they  saw  the 
exquisite  savagery  employed  by  the  Mongols  applied  to  their  chief  and 
their  brothers,  as  well  as  to  the  700  native  Christian  captives,  before  the 
knife  was  used  to  bring  them  death. 

"Blood-drunk"  were  the  Boxers,  and  it  was  owing  to  this  condition 
that  the  six  remaining  priests,  with  the  help  of  some  friendly  Chinamen, 
were  able,  one  by  one,  to  make  their  way  to  the  neighboring  hills  of  Cum- . 
Fu,  where  each  managed  to  gain  existence  as  best  he  might. 

Fridella  had  once  saved  the  life  of  a  son  of  a  villager.  The  man, 
deeply  grateful,  had  sworn  never  to  forget  his  debt,  and  now  his  oppor- 
tunity occurred. 

Finding  the  missionary  in  his  retreat  among  rocks  and  clumps  of 
shrubberj'^,  the  native  daily  brought  him  food  and  provided  him  with 
sufficient  clothing.  Thus  Fridella  was  enabled  to  preserve  life  and 
strength.    Of  his  five  brother  workers  Fridella  entirely  lost  sight. 

When  the  excitement  had  somewhat  died  down,  the  cloud  of  savages 
having  swept  to  the  south,  the  father  counseled  with  his  friend  and  a 
method  of  escape  was  determined  upon. 

The  Chinaman  escorted  his  former  benefactor  to  the  banks  of  the 
Siang-Kiang  Kiver,  not  far  away,  the  Caucasian  being  dressed  as  a 
native.  Here  the  priest  was  to  be  put  on  board  a  junk  and  sail  away 
to  friends  and  safety. 

As  the  river  men  were  all  members  of  the  secret  society  from  which 
the  present  rebellion  springs,  and  as  it  was  hardly  to  be  expected  that 
they  would  tolerate  the  presence  of  one  of  the  hated  foreigners,  strategy 
was  necessary. 

A  Chinese  coffin  was  secured,  provided  with  some  skillfully  concealed 
apertures  to  admit  air,  and  a  quantity  of  food  placed  in  it. 

In  this  grewsome  receptacle  the  priest  was  placed,  the  coffin  bound 


438  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR. 

up  in  the  usual  manner,  and  a  south-passing  vessel  agreed  to  transport 
the  package  to  its  destination. 

The  desperate  voyage  began.  All  went  well  for  the  first  two  days, 
the  inconvenience  Fridella  suffered  from  his  cramped  quarters  and  his 
limited  breathing  space  soon  wearing  off  through  callousness.  He  was 
able  to  reach  the  provisions  that  had  been  placed  alongside  of  him,  but 
he  had  little  taste  for  food. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day  that  a  group  of  sailors  gath- 
ered around  the  coffin  and  planned  to  break  open  the  richly  ornamented 
casket,  which,  they  reasoned,  contained  the  body  of  some  dignitary  who 
had,  in  all  probability,  been  dressed  in  his  robes  of  state  and  all  his 
jewels  when  laid  away  in  his  last  bed. 

The  discussion  occurred  within  easy  earshot  of  Fridella.  He  knew 
that  the  discovery  of  the  deception  practiced  on  the  sailors  would  arouse 
them  to  instantly  take  his  life,  unless  an  incredible  fate  should  ordain 
otherwise.  He  knew  the  superstitious  nature  of  the  people  who  thus 
had  him  in  their  power,  particularly  on  all  matters  relating  to  death. 
He  might  so  play  on  their  sense  of  the  supernatural,  he  considered,  that 
their  project  might  be  delayed ;  but  he  knew  that  it  was  only  a  question 
of  time  until  they  summoned  enough  courage  to  investigate,  and  then, 
surely,  all  hope  would  be  lost.  So  he  determined  to  let  matters  take 
their  course,  believing,  with  instinctive  fatalism,  that  nothing  could 
postpone  the  end  if  it  were  destined  to  occur. 

The  sailors  broke  the  coffin  open.  Beside  themselves  with  mingled 
fear  and  astonishment  when  they  saw,  instead  of  a  dead  mandarin,  a 
live  foreigner,  their  first  impulse  was  to  kill  him. 

Fridella,  with  unnatural  calmness,  argued  with  them.  He  intended 
them  no  harm,  he  said,  and  if  they  would  deliver  him  safely  in  Hong- 
kong a  large  reward  would  be  paid.  He  aroused  the  cupidity  of  the 
Chinese,  and,  after  conferring  among  themselves,  his  proposition  was 
accepted. 

The  boat  had  now  reached  the  main  traveled  channels  and  great  care 
was  necessarj'  to  avoid  detection,  the  river  and  its  banks  being  crowded 
by  hordes  of  hostiles. 

The  condition  on  which  the  sailors  consented  to  convey  the  priest  to 
his  point  of  vantage  was  that  he  must  retain  his  position  in  the  coffin, 
not  daring  to  show  himself.     Had  it  been  discovered  that  the  watermen 


CHRONTCLES   OF   HORROR.  439 

were  attempting  to  rescue  a  foreigner,  they  had  no.  doubt  that  short 
shrift  would  be  made  of  them. 

In  the  same  manner  that  he  had  started  Father  Fridelia  took  up  the 
second  and  even  more  dangerous  part  of  his  journey. 

Day  and  night,  without  rest,  without  even  the  opportunity  of  turning 
over  in  his  narrow  bed,  the  unfortunate  missionary  lay  in  the  death's 
house,  now  and  then  munching  in  a  feeble  sort  of  way  at  his  scant  hoard 
of  rapidly  decomposing  food. 

For  hours  at  a  time  the  man  would  lapse  into  unconsciousness;  his 
will-power  was  leaving  him;  all  hope  failed  him  and  he  was  indifferent 
to  his  end. 

First  he  had  avoided  sleep — later  he  knew  not  whether  he  was  asleep 
or  awake — whether  the  Orientals  that  he  heard  moving  about  him  were 
men  or  merely  figments  of  his  disordered  imagination.  Racked  by  fiend- 
ish pains  that  seemed  to  pervade  his  whole  tortured  and  imprisoned 
frame,  he  became  frequently  delirious  and  laughed  and  sang. 

Both  river  sides  were  now  aflame  with  an  open  anti-foreign  war,  and 
by  night  and  by  day  the  priest  heard,  when  sensible,  the  incessant  cry, 
"Death  to  the  foreign  devils.  Death  to  them  all."  At  times  the  yells 
seemed  perilously  near,  but  he  kept  his  word — he  did  not  move — indeed, 
he  could  not. 

For  seventeen  awful  days  and  nights  this  went  on.  Along  the 
broken  heights  that  marked  the  devious  course  of  the  Siang-Kiang, 
bounded  by  gardens  and  villages,  with  here  and  there  a  Mandarin  and 
his  army  encamped,  from  which  the  doleful  cry  of  hatred  for  the  white 
devils  was  never  stilled,  until  it  joined  the  broader  and  swifter  Wu  Ling 
Kiangjthe  course  lay.  Thence  along  the  latter  into  the  West  River,  where 
the  threat  grew,  perhaps,  less  frequent,  but  none  the  less  sincere;  past 
Wuchau,  populous,  murmuring,  and  full  of  hate;  turning  and  bumping 
along  the  narrow,  illy  defined  channel,  the  Chinese  stolidly  poled  their 
awkward  craft. 

Into  the  Si  Kiang  went  the  junk,  bearing  its  fearful  and  fearing  bur- 
den, down  the  Si  Kiang  to  Sam  Shui,  and  then  more  swiftly  to  Canton. 
By  that  time  Fridelia  was  unconscious. 

Down  the  broad  bar  to  Hongkong  the  voyagers  were  less  fearful,  but 
still  they  jealously  guarded  their  human  freight  which  lay  glassy  and 
helpless  in  the  coffin. 
.    At  last  they  reached  Hongkong,     Here,  more  dead  than  alive,  Fra 


440  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR. 

Fridella  was  released  from  the  coffin,  but  retained  a  prisoner  aboard  the 
junk,  while  a  note  in  his  handwriting  was  dispatched  by  devious  Chi- 
nese routes  to  the  chief  Italian  priest  in  the  city  mission. 

It  was  brief,  but  legible  and  intelligible,  though  the  hand  that  wrote 
it  had  shaken  in  the  writing.  It  told  of  his  faithful  rescue,  but  not  of 
its  horrors,  and  begged  that  the  reward  promised  might  be  paid  so  that 
he  might  be  released. 

Immediately  upon  receipt  of  the  note  the  reward,  a  large  one,  was 
paid  to  the  messenger,  who  received  it  in  a  characteristically  emotion- 
less manner. 

"When?"  he  simply  asked. 

Feverishly  the  priest  replied:  "At  once.  O,  you  cannot  be  too 
quick,"  for  he  well  knew  the  dangers  through  which  his  fellow  had 
passed,  and  doubted  more  than  a  little  as  to  whether  he  would  really  see 
him,  and  if  so,  alive. 

"To-night,"  briefly  responded  the  Celestial,  and  then  he  went  away. 

Knowing  the  natures  with  which  they  had  to  deal,  the  mission  priests 
made  no  attempt  to  shadow  the  messenger.  It  would  have  aroused  his 
suspicions,  besides  failing  of  its  purpose. 

Late  that  night  there  was  a  timid  knock  at  the  mission  gate.  A 
brother  hastened  to  answer  it.  He  could  see  no  one.  But  as  his  eyes 
accommodated  themselves  to  the  gloom  he  was  able  to  discern  a  boxlike 
shape  from  which  he  thought  he  heard  the  moans  and  sighs  of  a  strong 
man  in  pain. 

He  went  nearer.  It  was  a  Chinese  coffin,  partly  open,  in  which  was 
lying  a  living,  breathing  man.  At  once  he  knew  him  to  be  Fra  Fridella, 
of  whose  coming  he  had  been  told,  and  whom  he  had  known  long  ago 
in  blue-skyed,  sunny  Italy. 

Care  of  the  tenderest  was  given  the  life  thus  saved  from  death  with 
such  difficulty,  and  in  a  few  days  the  speechless  priest  responded  to  the 
treatment,  recovering  sufficiently  to  tell  the  fearful  tale  of  the  sights  he 
had  seen  and  the  experiences  he  had  undergone. 

He  was  made  much  of,  and  constantly  received  visitors  come  to 
inquire  as  to  the  true  state  of  affairs  in  the  troubled  north,  concerning 
which  they  were  hearing  such  garbled  reports. 

Though  he  tried  every  means  in  his  power,  Fridella  was  quite  unable 
to  learn  of  his  five  brother  workers  who  fled  with  him  from  the  captured 
mission.     Their  fate  is  a  matter  of  anxious  speculation. 


CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR.  441 

"While  in  Taiyiian-fn  in  the  course  of  her  recent  hurried  departure 
from  her  capital,"  writes  Francis  McCullough  of  Peking,  "the  Empress 
Dowager  of  China  resided  for  a  time  in  a  building  which  must  even  then 
have  been  stained  with  Christian  blood — ^the  blood  of  eighty  persons — 
shed  in  a  butchery  for  a  parallel  to  which  we  must  go  back  to  the  Ten 
Persecutions.  Toward  the  end  of  June  last  the  Protestant  missionaries 
in  Taiyuan-fu,  Shansi,  having  been  attacked  by  soldiers,  collected  in  the 
house  of  Mr.  Farthing,  of  the  English  Baptist  Mission,  and  stayed  there 
until  summoned  to  Governor  Yu's  yamen  on  July  9,  under  the  promise  of 
an  escort  to  Tientsin.  This  party  consisted  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beynon,  with  two  children;  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson,  China 
Inland  Mission;  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Levitt,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Piggott,  child  and 
tutor. 

"The  English  missionaries  at  Hsonyang  fled  about  the  same  time  to 
the  mountains,  but  afterward  returned.  They  were  immediately 
arrested  on  their  return  by  the  magistrate,  who  put  them  in  chains  with 
iron  collars  around  their  necks,  and  sent  them  on  the  rough,  springless 
carts  of  the  country  to  Taiyuan-fu,  refusing  to  give  them  any  food  on  the 
way.  On  arriving  at  Taiyuan-fu,  about  July  G,  they  were  sent  to  Gov- 
ernor Yu's  yamen,  and  then  sent  by  him  to  the  district  magistrate's 
yamen,  where  they  were  shut  up,  the  men  and  women  being  kept  sepa- 
rate and  the  husbands  and  wives  being  refused  all  communication. 
Within  a  few  days  all  the  Protestant  missionaries  in  the  district  were 
ordered  to  go  to  the  Governor's  yamen,  and  hopes  were  held  out  that 
they  would  all  be  sent  to  Tientsin  under  escort.  Including  the  Hson- 
yang party  from  Mr.  Far-thing's  house  already  mentioned,  their  total 
number  was  thirty-three.  When  they  had  all  entered  the  yamen  the 
doors  were  closed  and  the  wretched  inmates  must  have  realized  in  sick- 
ening despair  that  they  had  been  trapped.  They  were  not  kept  long  in 
suspense.  The  Boxers  were  ordered  to  enter  and  slaughter  them,  the 
Governor's  troops  mounting  guard  while  the  ghastly  deed  was  being 
done,  in  order  to  prevent  any  of  the  victims  from  escaping. 

"The  details  of  the  massacre  are  unknown,  but  the  heads  of  all  the 
victims  were  displayed  outside  the  yamen  later  in  the  day.  It  is 
believed  that  the  work  was  done  with  swords,  and  it  is  probable  that 
death  released  each  victim  promptly.  On  the  same  day  forty  native 
Christians  were  killed,  and  on  the  following  day  ten  Catholic  priests 


442  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR. 

were  lured  into  the  yamen  on  the  same  pretense  and  put  to  death  in  the 
same  manner. 

"It  is  the  Japanese  Mail  which  calls  attention  to  the  singular  and 
grewsome  fact  that,  according  to  a  Taiyuan-fu  dispatch  received  just 
after  Peking  had  been  relieved  by  the  allied  troops,  the  governor's  yamen 
was  then  being  used  as  the  empress  dowager's  temporary  palace.  What 
must  have  been  the  sensations  of  the  vindictive  old  lady  at  having 
thus  to  put  up  in  a  place  that  had  witnessed,  a  few  weeks  before,  such 
horrible  butcheries! 

"The  governor  of  Shansi,  Yu  Hsien,  who  is  responsible  for  the  above 
awful  murders,  must  not  be  allowed  to  sink  into  obscurity,  for  the 
district  he  rules  holds  the  record  for  diabolical  massacres  and  bar- 
barities. Fortunately,  however,  some  missionaries  escaped  his  clutches, 
but  the  sufferings  they  endured  on  their  way  to  the  coast  would  be  dif- 
ficult to  parallel.  The  party  consisted  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  K.  Saunders, 
with  two  children — the  other  two  of  their  children  died  on  the  way — 
Mr.  A.  Jennings,  Miss  Guthrie,  Mr.  E.  J.  Cooper  and  two  children, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Glover,  with  two  children,  and  Miss  Gates  All  are 
members  of  the  China  inland  mission,  and  of  the  nineteen  who  started 
five  perished.  Two  of  these  were  children,  three  were  ladies — Mrs. 
Cooper,  Miss  Rice  and  Miss  Houston. 

"This  party  left  Pingyao  on  June  25  owing  to  the  threatening  outlook 
and  to  the  fact  that  the  attention  of  the  mob  had  forced  them  to  take 
refuge  in  the  yamen.  The  magistrate  refused,  however,  to  succor  them, 
and  as  one  of  the  unfortunate  missionaries  remarked,  ^bade  us  depart 
in  peace.'  He  agreed,  however,  to  send  an  escort  with  them  to  Taiyuan, 
150  li  distant.  Before  they  reached  that  place,  however,  a  native  Chris- 
tian whom  they  knew  implored  them  not  to  continue  their  journey  to 
Taiyuan,  as  the  inland  mission  had  already  been  burned,  the  Eoman 
Catholic  church  pulled  down  and  all  the  foreigners  were  in  the  Baptist 
mission  compound,  surrounded  by  a  great  mob,  who  were  threatening 
to  burn  it  with  all  who  were  inside. 

"Upon  this  the  party  turned  back  toward  Pingyao,  and  no  sooner 
had  they  done  so  than  their  escort  deserted  them.  The  missionary  party 
had  now  little  money  left,  the  people  demanded  exorbitant  prices  for 
everything,  even  for  the  simple  permission  to  pass  along  the  road,  and 
the  refugees  were  accordingly  forced  to  sell  their  clothes  and  pawn 


CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR.  443 

whatever  they  could,  including  their  wedding  rings.  In  this  way  they 
reached  Lucheng  'safe,  but  stripped,'  to  use  their  own  expression. 

"They  were  not  forty-eight  hours  in  Lucheng,  however,  when  an 
outbreak  took  place  and  they  had  to  flee  for  their  lives  at  midnight,  with 
nothing  but  one  donkey  load  of  bedding  and  clothes  and  a  small  supply 
of  silver.  They  turned  south  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  traverse  the 
enormous  province*  of  Hcnan  and  Hupeh,  and  thus  reach  Hankow. 
But  they  had  only  got  forty  li  from  Lucheng  when  they  were  stopped 
and  robbed,  so  thoroughly  robbed  that  the  clothes  were  taken  off  the 
ladies  and  children  with  the  exception  of  a  single  pair  of  native  draw- 
ers each. 

"  'It  was  a  terrible  situation,'  says  one  of  them.  'The  blazing  sun 
burned  us  to  the  bone,  and  some  of  us  had  not  so  much  as  a  little  piece 
of  rag  to  wet  and  put  on  the  top  of  our  heads.  At  every  village  we 
were  attacked  and  driven  from  one  to  the  other  with  blows  and  curses. 
The  villages  there  are  very  thick,  and  before  we  got  clear  of  the  mob 
from  one  the  mob  from  the  next  had  already  arrived  to  take  us  in  hand. 
Neither  food  nor  water  could  be  obtained.  IIow  we  contrived  to  exist 
we  hardly  know ;  for  days  our  only  support  was  found  in  the  filthy  pud- 
dles by  the  roadside.  Miss  Rice  was  killed  on  the  road  fifty  li  north  of 
Tsehchanfu,  in  Shansi.  That  day  both  she  and  Miss  Houston  sat  down 
on  the  roadside,  saying  they  would  willingly  die,  but  walk  another  step 
they  could  not.  In  the  previous  city  the  magistrate  had  given  us  a 
small  piece  of  silver,  which  we  had  to  carry  in  our  hand,  having  nowhere 
else  to  put  it.  We  thought  we  might  be  able  to  hire  a  cart  for  these 
ladies  with  this  piece  of  silver,  so  two  of  us  went  to  a  village  to  negotiate. 
The  villagers  refused  the  cart,  but  at  the  same  time  they  pounded  our 
knuckles  with  a  stick  till  we  dropped  the  silver,  and  then  drove  us 
down  the  road,  away  from  our  party. 

"'Just  then  it  began  to  rain,  and  the  party,  with  the  exception  of 
the  two  ladies,  retired  for  shelter  to  an  empty  guardhouse  near.  There 
a  mob  fell  upon  them  and  drove  them  on,  and  in  this  way  the  two  help- 
less ladies  got  left  and  were  done  to  death.  Miss  Rice  was  first  taken, 
beaten,  thrown  down  and  a  heavy  northern  cart  was  drawn  backward 
and  forward  over  her  to  crush  the  life  out  of  her,  but,  not  effecting  this, 
the  Chinese  dragged  her  aside,  and  beat  her  with  clubs,  only  to  throw 
her  under  the  cart  again.  This  happened  repeatedly,  until  at  last  she 
was  dead.    Miss  Houston,  who  had  remained  with  her  to  the  end,  now 


444  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROM. 

got  up,  maddened  with  horror,  and  ran  from  the  place,  but  was  recap- 
tured and  was  for  seven  or  eight  days  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese. 
How  it  came  about  she  probably  never  knew,  but  she^somehow  rejoined 
the  party  from  whom  she  had  separated  with  Miss  Rice.  When  she  did 
so  her  skull  was  fractured  and  for  days  she  lingered,  with  the  brain 
exposed,  till  at  last  mortification  set  in  and  she  joined  her  friend  in 
death.  Mrs.  Cooper  had  had  all  her  upper  clothing  torn  from  her,  and 
the  fierce  sun  beating  down  on  her  had  blistered  her  shoulders  and 
breast  till  all  the  skin  peeled  off.  Then  flies  came  in  swarms,  and  be- 
fore her  death  the  surface  of  the  upper  part  of  her  body  was  a  mass  of 
maggots,  and  so  she,  too,  died.' 

"Mr.  E.  J.  Cooper,  one  of  the  party,  who  is  now  very  seriously  ill  in 
Shanghai,  his  wounds  having  broken  out  and  suppurated  afresh,  says 
that  'the  most  devilish  feature  of  the  whole  business  was  this:  That  the 
malice  of  the  mob  was  directed  toward  the  women  and  children  even 
more  than  toward  the  men.' 

"The  latest  issue  of  the  Peking  and  Tientsin  Times,  which  has  come 
to  hand,  contains  a  whole  list  of  similar  atrocities.  At  Hsiao-i-hsian 
Miss  Whitchurch  and  Miss  Sewell  were  beaten  to  death  with  the  usual 
brutality.  Miss  Coombs  was  burned  alive.  At  Yenchow-fu,  on  August 
15,  a  party  of  missionaries,  including  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  and  little  girl, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Attwater  and  two  girls,  belonging  to  the  American  board, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landgren  and  Miss  Eldred,  of  the  central  inland  mission, 
were  waylaid  by  a  band  of  soldiers  and  all  put  to  a  cruel  and  lingering 
death. 

"All  the  crimes  that  I  have  given  were  either  directly  or  indirectly 
caused  by  Governor  Yii  of  Shansi,  who  was  responsible  for  Mr.  Brooks' 
murder,  which  happened  long  before  the  present  outbreak,  and  who 
has  well  been  termed  the  Bluebeard  of  China." 

"Ever  since  the  beginning  of  the  uprising  in  China  missionaries  from 
the  interior  have  continued  to  arrive  in  Hongkong,"  writes  Jabez  Potts 
of  that  city.  "The  experiences  of  some  of  them  from  the  more  remote 
districts  are  of  the  most  thrilling  description.  Many  of  these  Christian 
workers  wear  the  Chinese  dress,  pigtail  and  all. 

"Among  those  who  thus  conform  to  Chinese  customs  are  the  Rev. 
Father  Jeremiah  and  the  Rev.  Father  Stephanus  Sette,  two  Roman 
Catholic  missionaries  from  the  Hunan  province,  who,  in  escaping  from 
the  infuriated  mobs  which  attacked  and  destroyed  their  stations,  ex- 


CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR.  445 

perienced  hardships  which  they  are  not  likely  to  forget.  The  Eev.  Fa- 
ther Jeremiah  was  laboring  at  Pa  Shan.  His  life  was  saved  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  disturbance  by  an  old  Chinese  woman,  who  was  moved 
to  pity  by  his  distressed  condition  and  hid  him  for  six  days  in  a  large 
box  used  for  storing  rice. 

"The  Rev.  Father  Stephanus  Sette  had  charge  of  the  station  at  Hing 
Shui.  He  owes  his  escape  to  the  reverence  of  the  Chinese  for  the  re- 
mains of  the  dead.  He  was  dumped  in  a  box  resembling  a  native  coffin 
and  in  this  way  was  carried  by  native  Christians  a  distance  of  nearly 
400  miles,  to  Lien  Chau,  on  the  West  river,  the  journey  taking  about 
seven  days.  The  party  was  frequently  stopped  on  the  way,  but  all  in- 
quirers were'  satisfied  when  informed  that  the  box  contained  human 
remains  which  were  being  carried  to  their  native  countrj'  for  burial. 

"On  reaching  Lien  Chau  one  of  the  native  Christians  hunted  up  a 
boatman,  who  agreed  to  take  him  and  two  friends  to  Canton  for  |10. 
When  he  found,  however,  that  one  of  the  party  was  a  European  he 
struck  for  more  pay,  nnd  ultimately  |50  was  agreed  upon.  During  the 
trip  down  the  river  the  boatman,  thinking  this  a  good  chance  to  make 
money,  threatened  to  have  Father  Sette  thrown  overboard  unless  300 
ounces  of  silver  was  forthcoming.  The  party  had  nothing  like  this 
amount  with  them,  but,  putting  on  a  bold  front,  they  informed  the  man 
that  he  could  have  that  amount  if  he  took  them  safely  to  Canton, 
where,  they  said,  the  missionary  had  a  rich  brother  residing.  He  ac- 
cordingly landed  them  safely  in  Canton  and  accompanied  them  to  the 
head  of  the  Roman  Catholic  mission  there,  and  subsequently  to  the 
French  consul,  who  gave  him  a  fair  recompense  for  his  trouble. 

"Quite  a  large  party  has  arrived  in  this  colony  from  Yunnan-Fu, 
traveling  via  Hanoi  and  Haiphong.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Dymond  of  the  Bible 
Christian  mission  at  Yunnan-Fu,  is  one  of  them,  and  he  gives  a  graphic 
description  of  the  trials  he  and  his  brother  missionaries  underwent, 
trials  brought  about  chiefly  by  the  strong  forward  movement  instituted 
last  year  by  the  French,  who  have  long  had  designs  on  the  Yunnan 
province. 

"Things  were  brought  to  a  climax  some  two  or  three  months  ago 
by  the  injudicious  conduct  of  Consul-General  Francois,  who  arrived 
with  twenty-five  Frenchmen,  mostly  railway  engineers,  and  a  body 
guard  of  Anamese  soldiers.  They  had  a  considerable  quantity  of  arms 
and  ammunition  with  them.    The  taotai  at  Mengtze,  after  trying  in  vain 


446  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR. 

to  prevent  the  import  of  firearms  as  being  contrary  to  international  law, 
telegraphed  to  the  officials  in  Yunnan-Fu,  advising  them  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  French  to  the  capital  of  the  province.  They  went  out  in 
a  body  to  the  city  gates  to  meet  the  travelers  and  strongly  remonstrated 
with  Consul  Francois  on  the  illegality  of  importing  arms.  The  French- 
men replied  by  pointing  their  revolvers  at  the  heads  of  the  mandarins, 
and  the  Anamese  troops,  following  the  example  of  their  masters,  aimed 
their  rifles  in  the  same  direction.  The  mandarins  were  terribly  alarmed 
and  withdrew  all  opposition  to  the  French  entering  the  city. 

"This  incident  led  to  immense  excitement  in  the  city.  Every  one  felt 
that  trouble  was  brewing  and  that  it  was  only  a  question  of  time.  The 
French  consul  kindly  invited  and  also  urged  the  Protestant  mission- 
aries to  take  shelter  in  his  yamen,  v>^here,  as  he  said,  he  had  the  meani 
of  protecting  them.  He  promised,  too,  if  necessary,  to  conduct  them 
safely  over  the  borders  into  French  territory.  While  fully  appreciating 
the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  the  consul,  they  resolved  to  stay  on  in 
their  houses,  as  they  did  not  wish  to  identify  themselves  with  this  ag- 
gressive action  of  the  French,  seeing  that  for  many  years  they  had  lived 
on  good  terms  with  the  oflficials  and  the  people. 

"As  soon  as  the  French  party  started  for  Tonkin,  a  few  days  after- 
ward, the  trouble  began.  The  mob  attacked  the  cavalcade  and  stole  the 
firearms  and  everything  else  besides.  They  then  made  for  the  French 
yamen,  but  were  prevented  from  injuring  it  by  a  cordon  of  Chinese 
soldiers  placed  there  by  the  mandarins.  The  rioters  next  made  for  the 
house  of  a  French  railway  engineer,  which  they  looted  and  destroyed. 
The  fine  Roman  Catholic  cathedral  next  engaged  their  attention.  They 
carried  off  all  they  could  lay  their  hands  on,  and  returning  in  the  even- 
ing set  the  cathedral  on  fire.  It  was  in  the  afternoon  that  the  Prot- 
estant missionaries  other  than  the  China  inland  mission  made  their 
escape  to  the  prefect's  yamen,  where  they  were  the  guests  of  the  man- 
darins till  the  time  came  for  their  departure. 

"The  escape  of  the  China  inland  missionaries  (three  ladies  and  one 
gentleman)  was  marvelous.  Their  house  was  difficult  of  access.  The 
way  to  it  lay  through  a  narrow  lane,  and  a  precipitous  flight  of  steps 
led  up  to  the  door.  When  the  rioters  forced  their  way  into  the  house  the 
missionaries  took  shelter  on  the  roof.  One  rioter,  more  daring  than 
the  others,  climbed  up  after  them.  A  mandarin  who  had  come  v/ith  the 
soldiers  to  repel  the  rioters  saw  this  man  on  the  roof  and  ordered  him 


CHRONICLES    OF   HOBBOB.  447 

down.  He  replied  by  throwing  a  brick,  which  struck  the  mandarin  in 
the  face.  For  this  a  terrible  vengeance  was  taken.  The  soldiers 
dragged  the  man  down  and  then  and  there  cut  off  his  head.  By  the 
next  day  the  rioters  had  scattered,  and  a  few  days  aftei*ward  the  French 
party  was  escorted  to  the  borders  of  Tonkin  by  a  body  of  Chinese  sol- 
diers. T^,e  missionaries  left  later  on  and  reached  French  territory  and 
then  Hongkong  without  any  trouble. 

"The  Berlin  mission  property  on  the  North  river  has  suffered  se- 
verely. The  Rev.  A.  Kollecker  of  the  Basel  mission,  Canton,  describes 
the  destruction  of  the  station  of  Luk-Hang,  Fayen,  as  follows:  'It  was 
about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  mission 
station  were  suddenly  alarmed  by  the  sound  of  gongs.  They  looked  out 
and  saw  a  great  crowd  of  Chinese  coming  in  their  direction. 

"  'An  attempt  was  made  to  beat  off  the  assailants  and  protect  the 
property.  This  proved  of  no  avail,  for  in  a  short  time  the  rioters  beat 
down  the  doors  and  rushed  into  the  compound.  It  was  with  great  dif- 
ficulty that  the  people  of  the  mission  station  made  their  escape.  They 
owe  their  safety  to  the  fact  that  the  rioters  first  concerned  themselves 
with  looting  the  houses.  This  engaged  their  attention  till  nearly  6 
o'clock.  By  that  time  the  rioters  had  carried  out  all  they  deemed  val- 
uable. When  the  work  of  looting  was  finished  they  deliberately  set 
fire  to  the  houses  of  the  missionaries,  the  school  and  the  church.  All 
these  buildings  v/ere  burned  to  the  ground.  The  rioters  came  from  the 
villages  lying  round  Luk-Hang.  The  Christians  living  in  these  villages 
heard  the  wheelbarrows  going  all  night  as  the  rioters  bore  off,  under 
the  glare  of  the  burning  houses,  their  share  of  the  plunder. 

"  'After  the  destruction  of  the  mission  station  and  the  churches  the 
native  Christians  came  in  for  their  share  of  attention.  In  addition  to 
being  deprived  of  their  worldly  goods  they  v/ere  roughly  handled  by 
the  mob.  The  village  council  offered  rewards  for  the  arrest  of  Chris- 
tians— 110  for  a  preacher  and  $2  for  a  member.' 

"The  disturbances  in  Kv/antung  are  becoming  more  and  more 
numerous,  and  for  this  no  doubt  the  Triad  society  is  responsible.  In 
the  Chung  Chuin  village,  not  far  from  Canton,  there  are  some  20,000 
men  of  the  Triad  society,  who  use  this  place  as  their  basis  for  collecting 
more  men  preparatory  to  rebellion,  then  Sun  Yat  Sen  and  Kang-Yu-Wei 
are  believed  to  be  somewhere  about  the  West  river  enlisting  men  and 
stirring  the  people  to  rebellion. 


448  CHRONICLES   OF   HORROR. 

"Only  the  other  day  the  acting  viceroy  of  Canton  sent  a  large  num- 
ber of  troops  to  the  Ping  Wo  village,  near  the  Maceo  fort  (a  fort  on 
the  river  leading  from  Maceo  to  Canton)  to  suppress  a  serious  disturb- 
ance, 4,000  men  being  also  sent  to  Namkong,  near  Whampoa  (on  the 
river  between  Hongkong  and  Canton),  to  restrain  the  inhabitants  from 
ill-treating  the  natives  who  had  begun  to  destroy  mission  proi>erty. 
There  have  also  been  anti-mission  riots  at  Ying  Tak,  Shon  Tak  and  else- 
where, but  though  a  considerable  amount  of  property  has  been  de- 
stroyed the  lives  of  the  missionaries  do  not  seem  to  have  been 
endangered." 

Not  all  of  the  atrocities,  however,  were  committed  by  the  Chinese. 
The  spirit  of  revenge  seized  upon  the  soldiers  of  the  allied  armies,  and 
the  Russians,  French  and  Germans  particularly  displayed  a  cruelty 
even  less  excusable  than  that  of  the  Chinese,  if  the  obligations  of  en- 
lightenment be  considered.  As  one  evidence  of  this  the  following  letter 
written  from  Nagasaki  by  Victor  Collin,  a  Belgian  correspondent,  is 
significant  and  startling.    He  says: 

"I  have  just  crossed  Russia  and  Siberia  from  Moscow  to  Vladivostok 
from  the  4th  of  August  to  the  8th  of  September  (modern  style),  and  am 
now  bound  for  Tientsin  and  Peking.  I  followed  the  Russo-Chinese 
frontier  of  the  Amur  from  Pokrovsk,  a  confluent  of  the  Amur,  to  Khab- 
arovsk, where  travelers  for  Vladivostok  leave  the  boat  and  take  the 
railway.  This  district,  less  than  four  weeks  before  my  passage  through 
it,  was  the  scene  of  the  war,  about  which  so  much  has  been  said  in  the 
European  press,  but  whose  real  character  has  been  entirely  overlooked. 
This  I  was  able  to  confirm  by  the  information  learned  here  in  Japan. 
It  is  not  an  armed  struggle  between  two  organized  belligerents  that 
has  been  waged  on  the  banks  of  the  Amur,  but  a  cold-blooded  massacre 
of  an  entire  population  of  non-combatants  and  the  systematic  destruc- 
tion of  their  homes. 

"The  bombardment  of  Blagoveshchensk,  which  marked  the  opening 
of  hostilities,  was  the  only  combat  properly  called  warfare  that  took 
place  on  the  Russo-Chinese  frontier.  Its  importance  has  been  much  ex- 
aggerated by  the  Russian  press.  I  have  searched  all  through  the  town 
and  find  scarcely  any  noticeable  trace  of  the  bombardment,  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  the  inhabitants,  did  but  insignificant  dam- 
age, injuring  a  few  walls  and  breaking  a  few  windows.    The  musketry 


CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR.  449 

of  the  Chinese  was  graver,  though  the  victims  were  not  more  than 
three  or  four  killed  and  a  dozen  wounded. 

"Nevertheless  Blagoveshchensk  might  have  been  mostly  destroyed 
and  many  of  the  inhabitants  killed  if  the  enemy's  fire  had  been  better, 
for  toward  the  end  of  their  bombardment  the  Chinese  began  to  use 
modern  guns.  They  took  up  their  position  in  the  town  of  Sakhalin, 
facing  the  Russian  town,  and  their  trenches  covered  a  very  considerable 
area.  They  kept  up  their  fire  twenty-one  days,  until  the  Russians  took 
the  offensive.  They  were  badly  commanded,  because  they  made  no 
attempt  to  cross  the  river  in  order  to  make  an  attack  on  Blagovesh- 
chensk, an  attack  that  would  probably  have  succeeded.  The  armed- 
Chinese  only  crossed  the  Amur  in  one  spot,  at  a  suburb  known  as  Zeia, 
and  there  only  to  assist  the  Chinese  who  inhabited  that  suburb  to  get 
away  in  safety  to  the  other  side.  The  Chinese  did  not  even  conceive 
the  idea  of  cutting  the  telegraph  wires,  and  those  who  had  charge  of 
the  signal  lights  on  both  banks  of  the  Amur  stupidly  continued  their 
service,  thus  guiding  the  transports  that  carried  the  Russian  reinforce- 
ments. 

"Whether  the  attack  on  Blagoveshchensk  was  or  not  preceded  by 
a  warning,  whether  it  was  or  not  the  result  of  a  misunderstanding — 
several  versions  are  circulating  to  explain  the  conduct  of  the  Chinese — 
it  has  none  the  less  the  double  character  of  brutality  and  clumsiness. 
The  responsibility  is  incumbent  on  the  governor  of  Aigun,  a  Chinese 
town  situated  some  forty  versts  down  the  river  from  Blagoveshchensk. 
But  if  the  attack  showed  fully  the  incompetency  of  the  Chinese  military 
chiefs,  it  certainly  did  not  honor  the  Russian  governor  of  Blagovesh- 
chensk, General  Gribski,  who,  on  July  2,  completely  stripped  the  gar- 
rison of  the  town. 

"In  doing  this  it  is  possible  that  he  acted  on  orders  from  a  higher 
command ;  however,  at  the  moment  of  the  attack  there  were  at  Blago- 
veshchensk only  sixty  regular  soldiers  under  the  command  of  a  lieuten- 
ant, and  two  pieces  of  artillery.  The  inhabitants  of  the  town  quickly 
formed  themselves  into  companies  of  volunteers,  armed  with  old  rifles 
found  in  the  town  hall,  and  hurriedly  dug  trenches  along  the  bank  of 
the  river.  Ammunition  was  rare  and  they  were  only  able  to  respond 
feebly  to  the  Chinese  fire,  but  enough,  however,  to  make  the  Chinese 
think  there  was  a  regular  garrison  on  the  defensive.  Reinforcements 
arrived  successively,  not  without  great  difficulty,  however,  on  account  of 


450  CHRONICLES    OF   HOBROB. 

the  low  waters  of  the  river,  which  caused  several  vessels  to  run  aground, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  end  of  July  that  the  Russians  were  strong- 
enough  to  attack  the  enemy's  trenches.  In  the  interval  the  horrible 
Oiinese  massacre  occurred. 

"At  Blagoveshchensk  there  were  about  6,000  Chinese — small  mer- 
chants, clerks,  shop  employes,  coolies,  etc.  About  1,000  had  left  the 
town  before  the  beginning  of  hostilities.  General  Gribski  feared  an 
insurrection,  on  account  of  the  report  that  emissaries  of  the  Boxers  had 
been  seen  distributing  circulars.  According  to  what  the  inhabitants 
say,  the  Chinese  showed  no  agitation.  Nevertheless,  no  sooner  had  the 
attack  taken  place  than  the  chief  of  police,  M.  Batarevitch,  caused  every 
Chinese  man,  woman  and  child  to  be  arrested,  apparently  to  protect 
them.  Those  inhabitants  who  had  Chinese  employes  gave  them  up  to 
the  police  in  all  confidence.  These  5,000  Chinese  were  then  imprisoned 
in  different  buildings. 

"On  the  Gth  of  July  the  volunteers  were  stupefied  at  seeing  the  sur- 
face of  the  Amur  covered  with  corpses,  which  floated  down  and  piled 
up  on  the  Chinese  bank  of  the  river.  At  first  they  thought  them  to  be 
corpses  of  Russians,  but  soon  the  truth  became  known.  The  police, 
aided  by  the  Cossacks,  had  led  all  the  Chinese  of  Blagoveshchensk  to  a 
spot  situated  about  seven  versts  up  the  river  and  had  thrown  them 
into  the  stream.  Owing  to  their  great  numbers  they  were  thrown  in 
groups,  after  being  stripped  and  robbed  of  all  they  had  on  their  persons. 
The  awful  execution  lasted  up  to  the  10th  of  July,  and  the  bloodthirsty 
executioners  would  not  listen  to  prayers  from  man,  woman  or  child. 
Of  the  6,000  Chinese  that  lived  in  Blagoveshchensk  only  sixty  are  left, 
and  these  are  the  fortunate  ones  who  succeeded  in  hiding  themselves 
during  the  reign  of  terror. 

"It  was  General  Gribski  who  gave  the  order  to  M.  Batarevitch  to 
execute  the  massacre.  I  was  unable  to  verify  the  rumor  that  he  had 
been  absent  from  town  and  that  he  ordered  the  wholesale  drowning 
by  a  telegram  drawn  up  in  a  very  ambiguous  manner.  What  is  a  fact, 
however,  is  that  from  Blagoveshchensk  to  Vladivostok  there  is  but  one 
voice,  and  that  is  a  condemnation  of  Gribski  and  Batarevitch  for  the 
responsibility.  It  is  declared  that  Gribski  has  already  been  recalled  to 
St.  Petersburg.  I  did  not  see  him,  but  I  saw  Batarevitch  distributing 
'handshakes'  in  the  dining  room  of  the  hotel  at  which  I  put  up.    He  is 


CHRONICLES   OF   HORROR.  451 

still  in  power,  and  his  inhabitants  only  dare  speak  of  him  with  bated 
breath. 

"It  is  probable  that  an  endeavor  will  be  made  to  explain  the  mas- 
sacre by  the  assertion  that  it  was  most  urgent  to  send  the  Chinese  back 
to  their  country,  and  that  as  there  were  no  boats  to  carry  them  across 
the  Amur  they  were  told  to  swim;  as  a  fact  the  police  and  Cossacks  did 
shout  ironically  to  the  unfortunate  wretches  to  swim  across  the  river, 
which  at  the  scene  of  the  execution  is  a  mile  wide,  with  a  very  strong 
current.  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  those  who  were  thrown 
into  the  river  were  pursued  by  strokes  from  heavy  sticks  and  chopped 
at  with  hatchets,  and  that  there  floated  before  Blagoveshchensk  in- 
numerable groups  of  human  forms  tied  together  by  their  pigtails. 

"After  the  massacre  the  police  pillaged  the  homes  and  shops  of  the 
Chinese.  Then  a  fresh  series  of  atrocities  began.  The  village  of  Sak- 
halina  was  razed  to  the  ground;  happily  the  population  was  able  to  flee. 
The  same  was  not  the  case  with  Aigun,  with  its  population  of  20,000, 
the  greater  part  of  which  fled  with  the  soldiers,  but  those  who  remained 
behind  were  all  killed.  I  cannot  give  the'  number,  as  this  is  a  secret 
with  the  officers  of  the  expedition.  I  saw  the  ruins  of  Aigun,  of  which 
nothing  remains  to-day  but  an  immense  field  of  debris,  patrolled  by 
Cossack  pickets  and  covered  with  a  howling  flock  of  masterless  dogs. 
Along  the  entire  frontier  from  Pokrovsk  to  Khabarovsk  I  have  not  seen 
a  single  Qhinese  village  that  is  not  entirely  burned  down.  The  popula- 
tion of  Mocho,  for  instance,  was  surprised  and  the  Cossacks  massacred 
2,000  non-combatants,  men,  women  and  children.  At  Rade,  where  are 
the  gold  mines,  100  Cossacks  literally  exterminated  the  population  to 
the  last  man,  giving  no  quarter  whatever,  this  being  the  general  rule  of 
the  Cossacks. 

"There  must  have  been  an  immense  exodus  of  the  population  toward 
the  south,  principally  in  the  direction  of  Tsitsikar,  and  no  one  will  ever 
know  how  many  corpses  have  been  left  along  the  route  of  flight  through 
privation. 

"The  incontestable  facts  of  the  Manchurian  scandal  are  recounted  as 
follows: 

"That  the  Chinese  inhabitants  of  Blagoveshchensk  to  the  number 
of  from  4,000  to  5,000  were  thrown  into  the  Amur  by  the  Russian  police 
and  Cossacks;  that  this  execution  took  place  at  the  command  of  M. 
Batarevitch  acting  under  the  orders  of  General  Gribski;  that  the  ex- 


452  CHRONICLES    OF   HOBROB. 

ecutioners  pmndere*  tlieir  victims  and  murdered  those  who  attempted 
to  save  themselves  in  the  water;  that  they  tied  them  together  before 
throwing  them  into  the  water  by  their  pigtails;  that  the  town  of 
Aigiin,  now  called  Fort  Marie-Madeleine,  was  destroyed  and  razed  to 
the  ground;  that  not  a  single  inhabitant  remains;  that  all  the  Chinese 
villages  along  the  banks  of  the  Amur  are  razed,  and  that  in  many  of 
them  the  non-combatants  were  massacred ;  that  no  quarter  was  given  to 
the  Chinese  soldiers,  even  when  they  were  unable  to  defend  themselves. 

"VICTOR  COLLIN." 

For  an  example  of  French  atrocities  notice  the  following  shocking 
account  of  Dr.  Robert  Coltman,  Jr.  Dr.  Coltman  is  a  resident  of  Peking, 
where  he  has  lived  for  many  years,  a  practicing  physician,  and  the  son 
of  a  famous  missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  church: 

"The  native  reports  of  the  disgraceful  behavior  of  the  allied  armies' 
troopers  stationed  in  Tungchau  having  reached  headquarters  in  Peking, 
General  Chaffee,  fearful  lest  his  own  soldiers  should  be  implicated, 
decided  to  have  the  matter  fully  investigated.  He  therefore  dispatched 
Major  Meur  and  an  interpreter  to  Tungchau  to  inquire  into  the  occur- 
rences. Before  leaving  Peking  the  belief  was  that  Russians  and  Japa- 
nese were  the  principal  offenders,  but  investigation  proved  the 
Japanese  to  be  entirely  innocent,  the  Russians  scarcely  implicated  at 
all,  but  the  French  to  be  the  worst  offenders. 

"The  writer  was  one  of  the  besieged  in  Peking  and  for  sixty  days 
expected  nothing  but  death  and  torture  at  the  hands  of  the  Chinese. 
Consequently  no  very  tender  feeling  for  able-bodied  Chinamen  of  the 
soldier  or  farmer  classes  exists  in  his  bosom.  But  the  sights  of  wanton 
cruelty  witnessed  in  Tungchau  were  such  as  to  cause  tears  to  flow  in 
pity  for  the, countrymen  of  the  people  who  less  than  a  month  s.ince  were 
using  every  effort  to  deprive  us  of  life.  Shame,  too,  we  felt  that  the 
representatives  of  a  civilized  country  could  perpetrate  such  shocking 
atrocities.  French  soldiers  in  full  uniform  entered  the  houses  in  twos 
and  threes  and  murdered  the  quiet,  peaceable  merchants,  carried  off 
their  valuables  and  set  fire  to  their  homes.  In  a  few  days  the  whole  city 
so  dreaded  them  that  many  women  jumped  down  the  wells  or  burned 
themselves  to  death  in  their  houses  to  avoid  meeting  them. 

"The  following  cases  were  seen  by  the  writer  personally  and  are 
seared  into  his  memory  forever:    Mrs.  Yu,  45  years  of  age,  living  in  the 


CHRONICLES   OF   HORROR.  453 

wreck  of  her  former  comfortable  home  with  her  only  living  child,  a 
little  boy  aged  7,  related  to  me  between  her  sobs  the  following  awful 
story: 

"  'Eight  days  ago  a  party  of  our  neighbors,  consisting  of  twenty-two 
women,  three  men  and  my  husband,  aged  50,  and  married  son,  aged  25, 
were  huddled  together  in  the  courtyard,  fearful  of  the  French,  who  had 
been  looting  and  murdering  people  in  this  section  of  the  city,  when  our 
worst  fears  were  realized  by  the  front  door  being  burst  open  by  seven 
soldiers  dressed  in  blue  with  helmets  on  their  heads  and  rifles  in  their 
hands.  We  all  screamed  as  they  entered,  but  they  quickly  made  us 
understand  they  would  shoot  us  if  we  were  not  quiet,  upon  which  we  be- 
came very  still.  They  then  ordered  my  husband  and  all  the  other  men 
to  go  into  the  next  courtyard,  which,  as  they  were  unarmed,  they  were 
obliged  to  do.  Three  soldiers  went  into  the  yard  where  the  men  were, 
taking  with  them  their  guns.  I  apprehended  they  meant  some  harm 
to  the  men,  so  I  followed  a  few  feet  behind  them.  Just  as  I  turned  the 
corner  of  the  houses  I  saw  them  put  up  their  guns  and  fire  and  my  poor 
husband  and  son,  Mr.  Wang's  two  sons  and  Mr.  Hsu  all  fell,  to  the 
ground.  The  soldiers  each  fired  two  or  three  shots.  Then  they  came 
laughing  out  of  the  inner  court,  called  their  three  comrades,  and  all 
left  together.  I  went  at  once  to  my  husband,  but  both  he  and  my  sou 
were  dead  as  well  as  two  sons  of  Wang.  Mr.  Hsu's  leg  was  broken 
above  the  knee,  but  he  was  otherwise  uninjured.  With  the  help  of  his 
sister-in-law,  a  young  woman  of  23,  we  moved  him  across  the  street  to 
his  own  home  and  I  abandoned  my  house  and  went  to  live  with  young 
Mrs.  Hsu.  Three  days  later  two  French  soldiers  came  into  the  Hsu 
house  and  packed  up  in  boxes  all  the  valuables  of  the  Hsu  family  and 
made  the  younger  Hsu  carry  the  box.  The  elder  Hsu  called  out  from  an 
inner  room  to  his  younger  brother  to  do  whatever  the  French  told  him 
or  he  would  be  shot.  The  French  hearing  a  voice  went  into  the  inner 
loom  and  finding  the  elder  Hsu  in  bed  lifted  their  rifles  and  shot  him 
dead.  The  younger  Hsu  was  a  weak  man  and  could  scarcely  lift  the 
heavy  box,  but  commanded  by  the  soldiers  he  staggered  down  the  street 
with  it;  his  young  and  pretty  wife  hiding  inside  the  house,  as  pale  as 
a  ghost,  watched  him  go  out.  When  he  had  gone  but  a  hundred  yards 
he  was  completely  exhausted  and  obliged  to  lie  down  panting,  when 
he  was  immediately  shot  dead.  The  next  day  the  two  soldiers  returned 
and  Mrs.  Hsu  fled  across  the  city  with  a  friend's  wife  and  is  now  living 


454  CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR. 

in  the  quarter  protected  by  the  Japanese,  and  I  returned  to  my  own 
outer  court.  Won't  you  please  come  and  see  the  bodies?  I  have  covered 
them  with  a  mat,  as  I  have  no  one  to  bury  them.' 

"Following  Mrs.  Yu  into  the  next  courtyard  I  saw  several  pairs  of 
legs  protruding  from  under  a  mat.  She,  sobbing,  pointed  to  the  mat 
and  said:  'There  lie  my  poor  husband  and  my  poor  boy.'  I  raised  the 
mat.  Four  bloated  bodies  met  my  gaze  and  I  hastily  dropped  the  mat 
and  retreated. 

"Inquiring  definitely  where  Mrs.  Hsu  lived  across  the  city,  I  prom- 
ised Mrs.  Yu  that  I  would  report  the  outrages  to  the  French  command- 
ant and  try  to  secure  the  punishment  of  the  men.  I  then  visited  Mrs. 
Hsu.  She  was  a  timid  young  woman  of  23.  She  replied  with  eyes 
dropped  to  all  ray  questions.  At  the  end  of  my  interrogatories  she 
begged  me  to  have  her  husband's  body  searched  for.  Her  story  was: 
'My  brother-in-law  was  shot  in  Mrs.  Yu's  yard  the  day  we  were  all 
hiding  there.  We  mcTved  my  brother  back  home  with  a  broken  leg.  He 
w^as  the  only  man  left  alive;  the  French  soldiers  killed  all  the  others. 
Sev^al  days  after  this  two  French  soldiers  came  into  our  yard,  killed 
my  wounded  brother-in-law  and  made  my  husband  carry  a  very  heavy 
box  down  the  street.  He  was  not  strong,  and  I  knew  he  could  not  carry- 
that  box.  When  he  was  gone  but  a  few  moments  I  heard  two  shots,  and 
I  felt  sure  they  had  killed  him.  I  was  told  by  a  neighbor's  boy  that  my 
husband's  body  was  at  the  edge  of  the  lake,  but  as  French  soldiers  were 
constantly  in  the  street  I  dare  not  go  to  see.  All  our  neighbors  had 
either  fled  across  the  city  to  the  Japanese  protection  or  had  gone  into 
the  country  across  the  river  to  the  east.  The  next  day,  when  only  Mrs. 
Yu  a?iid  myself  were  in  the  house  the  two  Frenchmen  came  back.  After 
they  left,  a  neighbor's  wife  called  and  brought  me  over  here  to  live  with 
her.' 

"I  next  visited  a  very  old  woman,  Mrs.  Pai.  Her  husband's  dead 
body  lay  in  the  yard  before  us,  and  she,  poor  old  womaji,  was  enduring 
the  stench  of  it  to  keep  off  the  dogs.  Alone  she  had  sat  there  for  five 
days  in  the  company  of  that  stinking  body.  Her  story  was:  'I  am  85 
years  of  age.  My  husband  was  86.  Five  days  ago  two  French  soldiers 
came  into  the  yard  and  demanded  watches  or  jewelry.  My  husband  as- 
sured them  by  signs  that  we  had  none.  They  raised  their  guns  and  shot 
him,  killing  him  instantly.    I  want  to  die,  and  will  soon  do  so,  as  I  have 


CHRONICLES    OF   HORROR.  455 

tasted  nothing  since  his  death.'    The  poor  old  woman  was  very  near 
death,  evidently. 

"Next  door  I  visited  a  Mrs.  Ting,  aged  71.  Her  story  was:  'In  that 
doorway  you  see  the  body  of  my  husband.  He  was  73  years  of  age.  We 
lived  alone.  Five  days  ago  we  heard  gunshots  in  Mrs.  Pai's  yard,  and 
shortly  afterward  two  French  soldiers  came  into  our  yard  and  de- 
manded watches  and  jewelry.  My  husband  got  down  on  his  knees  to 
them  and  assured  them  we  had  none.  One  of  the  men  poked  his  gun 
into  my  husband's  face  and  fired,  tearing  one  side  of  his  face  off  and 
killing  him  instantly.  I  have  been  here  alone  in  the  yard  with  the  body 
ever  since.  If  I  could  get  some  one  to  bury  him  I  would  go  and  search 
for  my  daughter's  family.' 

"Two  coolies  in  the  neighborhood  were  impressed  and  Mr.  Ting's 
body  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  ground. 

"Case  after  case  of  this  description  met  my  gaze  each  day  for  three 
days,  until,  sickened  by  the  odors  of  decaying  flesh  and  having  evidence 
enough  to  convince  the  most  unbelieving,  I  returned  to  Peking  con- 
vinced that  the  worst  Boxer  is  no  worse  than  a  French  soldier,  or,  at 
least,  those  sent  to  China.  In  one  place  I  saw  the  bodies  of  seven  young 
women,  side  by  side,  who  had  killed  themselves  to  avoid  falling  into 
French  hands. 

"ROBERT  COLTMAN,  JR." 

It  is  from  the  German  correspondents  and  the  German  press  that 
confirmation  of  the  charge  of  German  brutality  is  received.  The  cruel- 
ties reported  are  becoming  alarmingly  numerous.  An  appalling  story  is 
told  in  two  letters  sent  from  Peking  by  members  of  the  expeditionary 
corps.    The  first  one  reads  as  follows: 

"At  noon,  while  cooking  our  meal,  we  were  called  out  to  assist 
German  marines.  We  captured  seventy-six  Chinese,  all  of  whom  we 
tied  together  by  their  pigtails.  We  then  marched  them  to  our  lines. 
On  the  way  our  men  maltreated  them  in  such  an  unmerciful  way  that 
the  blood  oozed  from  their  bodies.  Upon  arrival  in  our  lines  they  were 
unceremoniously  sentenced  to  death.  We  then,  marched  them  to  the 
place  of  execution,  where  these  bleeding  victims  were  first  made  to  dig 
their  own  graves.  Then,  placing  them  close  to  the  brink  of  the  grave, 
so  that  they  would  fall  backward  into  the  excavation,  we  took  our  po- 
sition fifteen  steps  distant  from  them.    Each  Chinaman  was  shot  at  by 


456  CHRONICLES    OF   HOBROE. 

four  of  our  men.  It  was  dreadful  to  hear  the  poor  natives  whine  for 
mercy.  When  the  oflflcer  ordered  ^Fire,'  four  bullets  struck  each  victim. 
We  heard  heavy  sighs  and  groans  and  saw  the  bodies  tumbling  into  the 
graves;  then  all  was  over.    That  was  on  Sunday  morning." 

The  writer  of  the  other  letter  says:  "It  is  impossible  for  me  to  de- 
scribe to  you,  dear  mother,  how  matters  are  now  going  on  in  this  war. 
This  murdering  and  butchering  is  simply  madness.  We  are  told  that 
the  Chinese  stand  outside  of  the  law  of  nations,  for  which  reason  no 
prisoners  are  made,  but  all  are  shot,  or,  in  order  to  economize  on  cart- 
ridges, even  stabbed  to  death.  Last  Sunday  afternoon  we  were  ordered 
to  stab  seventy-four  prisoners  to  death  with  our  bayonets,  which  came 
about  thus:  The  Chinese  had  shot  one  of  our  patrols.  As  a  consequence 
our  battalion  was  sent  out  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  seventy-four  of 
whom  were  captured  alive.  These  were  executed.  It  was  cruel  and  im- 
possible to  describe,  and  we  oan  only  hope  that  this  state  of  affairs  will 
soon  be  over,  for  otherwise  one  will  forget  having  once  be^  a  human 
being." 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
IN  THE   IMPERIAL   CITY   OF   PEKING. 

After  the  Relief  of  Legations— A  Visit  to  tlie  Forbidden  City— In  tlie  Palace  of  the 
Emperor— The  Empress  Dowager's  Bed  Chamber— Rare  Curios  and  Priceless  Decora- 
tions—The Siege  of  the  Pei  Tang— Brave  Defense  of  the  Catholic  Headquarters— Weeks 
of  Horror— Among  Exploding  Mines— The  Story  of  Sister  Angelle— Rescued  at  Last. 

IFE  in  Peking  during  the  weeks  immediately  following  the 
relief  of  the  legationers  was  interesting  in  the  extreme  to  the 
soldiers  from  America  and  Europe,  to  whom  the  surroundings 
and  the  people  were  entirely  strange.  There  were  prepara- 
tions to  make  for  the  severe  winter  of  Northern  China,  expeditions 
to  outlying  towns  and  villages,  and  explorations  amid  the  wonders  of 
the  capital  city  itself.  Graphic  pictures  of  those  days  are  found  in  the 
letters  of  Ralph  D.  Paine,  a  correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia  Press, 
who  accompanied  the  allied  forces  and  remained  with  them  in  Peking. 
Of  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  sights  in  that  great  city,  Mr. 
Paine  writes  as  follows: 

"Peking,  Sept.  13. — Since  first  the  foreigner  began  to  write  of  the 
celestial  empire,  the  forbidden  or  sacred  city  of  the  son  of  heaven  has 
inspired  a  unique  prodigality  of  conjecture,  romance,  mystery  and  ever- 
baffled  curiosity.  Now  and  then  some  distinguished  visitor  from  the 
Occident,  General  Grant  for  example,  had  been  escorted  beyond  the 
massive  walls  of  the  vast  inclosure,  but  such  ceremonious  and  brief  in- 
vasions have  not  been  synonymous  with  detailed  exploration  and  the 
resulting  narratives  have  been  tantalizingly  incomplete. 

"The  forbidden  city  has  been  catalogued  as  one  of  the  wonders  of 
the  world,  and  literary  imaginations  have  run  amuck  over  the  unknown 
and  guessed-at  glories. 

"After  the  allied  armies  marched  into  Peking  on-  August  14  it  was 
at  first  considered  advisable  to  bombard  the  sacred  city,  whose  people 
refused  to  surrender  from  behind  their  walls  within  walls.  But  de- 
struction of  the  historic  and  famous  seat  of  the  imperial  government 
was  averted  by  capitulation  after  a  four-days'  siege  or  blockade.    Then 

457 


458  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING, 

by  way  of  a  demonstration,  whose  purpose  was  to  show  the  Chinese 
that  the  allies  were  wholly  masters  of  Peking,  a  combined  force  of 
troops,  the  conquering  column  which  had  fought  its  way  from  Tientsin, 
was  marched  through  the  grounds  and  more  important  buildings  of 
the  forbidden  city. 

"The  Chinese  shook  in  their  cloth  shoes  at  the  awful  profanation, 
and  expected  that  a  grand  carnival  of  looting  would  follow  and  the 
inclosure  be  thrown  open  and  perhaps  destroyed.  Bat  after  the  spec- 
tacular march  of  the  conquering  arms,  the  sacred  city  was  closed, 
sealed  and  guarded  as  jealously  as  if  the  Empress  Dowager  had  issued 
the  orders. 

"American  and  Japanese*  sentries  patrolled  the  gates  and  generals 
pleaded  in  vain  for  permission  to  enter  and  inspect  the  place.  Where- 
fore correspondents  could  only  crane  their  necks  at  the  walls  and 
gnash  their  teeth.  At  last  the  powers  were  strangely  moved  by  the 
arrival  of  the  Russian  admiral,  Alexiev,  who  had  journeyed  arduously 
from  Taku  expressly  to  view  the  forbidden  city.  Permission  was 
granted  him  and  precedent  established. 

"A  few  days  later  a  similar  request  was  made  by  Lieutenant-General 
Osaka,  inspector-general  of  the  Japanese  armies  and  chief  aid  to  the 
Emperor.  He  could  not  well  be  refused  without  treading  on  the  toes  of 
international  amities,  and  the  visit  was  made  on  the  morning  of 
the  10th. 

"When  it  became  known  that  Gen.  J.  H.  Wilson  was  to  escort  the 
Japanese  generals  on  this  pilgrimage  of  rarest  privilege  there  was  a 
rush  of  applications  by  American  officers  for  temporary  staff  duty. 
But  General  Wilson  was  allowed  only  one  personal  aid.  Lieutenant 
Reeves  of  his  staff,  and  only  two  other  American  officers  were  permitted 
to  accompany  the  party — Major  Webb  Hayes  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Coolidge  of  the  Ninth  infantry.  The  Japanese  generals,  on  the  other 
hand,  were  accompanied  by  a  staff  of  thirty  officers  and  a  small  guard 
of  infantrymen. 

"It  goes  without  saying  that  no  cards  of  invitation  were  sent  to 
correspondents,  and  the  expedition  was  enshrouded  in  a  notable  air  of 
secrecy.  It  happened,  however,  that  two  American  correspondents  were 
waiting  at  the  north  gate  of  the  forbidden  city  at  the  hour  appointed 
for  the  entrance  of  the  official  cavalcade.  When  General  Wilson  rode 
through,  with  Generals  Osaka  and  Yamaguichi,  followed  by  their  train 


IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  450 

of  officers,  the  correspondents  fell  in  line,  passed  within  the  sacred  and 
mystery-laden  inclosure  and — well,  they  stayed  there  and  accompanied 
the  generals  through  a  forenoon's  tour  of  unique  sight-seeing,  General 
Wilson  observing: 

"  'Remember,  I  did  not  grant  you  permission,  but  now  you  are  in 
here  I  won't  put  you  out.' 

"In  many  ways  the  forbidden  city  is  a  distinct  and  impressive  dis- 
appointment. This  should  be  recorded  at  the  outset.  Expected  grand- 
eur, gorgeousness,  vast  architectural  magnificence,  were  wanting,  as  a 
rule,  while  dilapddation  and  long-continued  neglect  marred  many  im- 
pressive structures.  Chinese  palaces,  even  in  the  sacred  city,  the  throne 
rooms  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  are  of  only  one  story,  alike  in 
outline  as  peas  in  the  same  pod,  so  that  there  is  small  variety  of  archi- 
tecture. After  all  is  said,  imagination  has  been  worked  overtime  in 
picturing  the  glories  of  the  sacred  city.  Yet  there  is  much  to  wonder 
at,  much  that  is  beautiful,  grotesque  and  of  incalculable  value. 

"Across  the  city,  from  north  to  south,  the  distance  is  more  than  a 
mile.  It  is  a  succession  of  buildings,  marble  terraces,  huge  marble 
stairways,  along  the  whole  route,  with  innumerable  labyrinths  of  courts, 
gardens  and  edifices  stretching  away  to  either  side,  so  that  without  a 
guide  the  stranger  would  be  lost  at  an  average  rate  of  once  per  minute. 

"There  seemed  to  be  only  a  handful  of  the  imperial  servants  and 
eunuchs  left  behind  to  guard  the  palaces  and  temples,  although  thou- 
sands of  them  could  have  been  tucked  away  in  the  mazes  of  the  sacred 
city  and  the  visitors  would  have  been  none  the  wiser.  A  dozen  of  the 
eunuchs  met  the  party  at  the  entrance  to  the  first  throne  room,  the 
first  building  inside  the  north  gate.  These  servants  were  exceedingly 
polite,  with  kow-tows  and  offerings  of  tea,  their  bland  faces  impassive 
as  a  temple  full  of  idols,  but  what  was  in  their  own  thoughts  would  not 
be  fit  for  publication,  as  a  conservative  guess. 

"The  first  really  impressive  feature  of  the  sacred  city  architeacture 
was  the  style  of  approach  to  the  throne  rooms,  which  are  all  set  on  ar- 
tificial terraced  hills  in  a  long  line.  Marble  steps  lead  up  these  slopes, 
and  they  flank  huge  monoliths,  or  slabs  of  marble  set  into  the  stairways 
and  flush  with  them.  These  noble  stones  are  from  twelve  to  twenty 
feet  long,  covered  with  the  sprawling  imperial  dragons,  but  in  high 
relief.    This  amazingly  grotesque  and  sacred  monster  is  sculptured  ev- 


460  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

erywhere  on  stairways,  terraces  and  pavements,  or  grins  in  bronze  from 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  throne  rooms. 

"These  buildings,  five  in  all,  were  curiously  dirty  and  neglected. 
Everything  movable  or  of  any  value  had  been  carried  away,  leaving  the 
great  gilt  and  canopied  chairs  in  solitary  and  melancholy  grandeur. 
Flocks  of  pigeons  had  been  roosting  on  the  arms  of  these  symbols  of 
sovereignty  of  heaven  and  earth.  The  wonderful  carpets  were  covered 
with  refuse  and  dust.  The  rooms  suggested  tawdry  and  fantastic  poul- 
try sheds.  It  seemed  as  if  all  the  imperial  pigeons  had  made  new  head- 
quarters of  the  imperial  throne  rooms. 

"Between  the  first  and  second  of  these  buildings  there  is  a  large 
courtyard.  The  grass-grown  inclosure  is  planted  thickly,  in  regular 
rows,  with  fan-shaped  bronze  tablets.  This  was  the  audience  place  of 
the  princes  and  mandarins  when  received  by  the  Emperor  or  Empress 
Dowager  in  these  latter  days.  Each  suppliant  had  his  particular  tablet 
beside  which  he  knelt,  and  his  relative  position  in  the  assemblage  was 
thus  marked  according  to  his  rank.  The  interpreter  pointed  out  the 
tablet  of  Li  Hung  Chang,  where  that  aged  statesman  was  wont  to  kneel 
until  his  old  bones  ached  and  then  to  totter  away,  grumbling  and  half 
dead  with  fatigue,  according  to  Peking  stories. 

"It  was  not  until  the  Emperor's  temple  and  private  house  of  wor- 
ship was  reached  that  the  effect  of  bare  walls  and  dilapidation  was 
counteracted.  The  temple  was  crammed  with  wonderful  gods,  with 
magnificently  ornate  altars  and  priceless  art  treasures  in  jade  and 
cloisonne.  In  the  deep  shadows  beyond  the  heavy  silken  hangings  a 
great  gold  Buddha  sat  and  looked  at  the  impious,  scoffing  foreigners. 
There  was  a  throne  room  in  the  temple.  With  so  many  thrones  the  luck- 
less Eknperor  Kuang  Hsti  could  not  keep  a  hold  on  even  one. 

"Near  this  temple  throne  stood  a  huge  bronze  caldron  filled  with 
water.  This  was  used  in  the  solemn  ceremonies  when  the  Emperor 
prayed  for  rain  in  time  of  drought.  One  of  the  treasures  of  this  room 
was  a  bronze  water  clock  towering  to  the  roof.  One  would  be  afraid  to 
say  how  many  centuries  ago  this  ponderous  mechanism  was  fashioned 
by  cunning  Chinese  workmen. 

"Beyond  the  last  throne  room  of  the  Emperor  was  the  state  apart- 
ment of  the  Empress,  when  there  was  a  real  Empress  of  China.  This 
was  resplendent  in  gilt  work,  but  sadly  obscured  in  dust  and  mold.    A 


IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  461 

half-dozen  of  the  vases  in  this  room  would  bring  revenue  sufficient  to 
enable  the  average  man  to  live  in  comfort  for  the  rest  of  his  days. 

"The  visitors  were  led  through  long  stretches  of  arbors,  summer 
houses,  ihaded  walks  and  gardens,  where  the  eunuchs  brought  more 
tea,  fruit  and  cakes,  sickishly  sweet.  They  seemed  to  think  the  pilgrim- 
age ended,  but  General  Wilson  held  otherwise.  He  had  been  shown  no 
more  of  interest  than  if  he  had  marched  through  the  forbidden  city  with 
the  allied  armies,  save  in  the  matter  of  quantity.  He  demanded  through 
his  interpreter  to  be  shown  the  private  or  living  apartments  of  the  Etn- 
peror  and  Empress  Dowager.  The  eunuchs  turned  a  pale  green  and  chat- 
tered shrill  protest  and  alarm.  No  foreigner  had  ever  entered  these  most 
sacred  of  all  buildings.  They  foresaw  certain  decapitation  as  their  fate. 
There  was  a  prodigious  scurrying  about,  while  General  Wilson  grew  the 
more  emphatic  and  insistent.     At  last  the  eunuchs  appeared  to  consent. 

"Here  is  where  a  reasonable  doubt  must  be  inserted.  It  seems  prob- 
able that  the  visitors  were  shown  through  the  residences  of  the  Emperor 
and  Empress  Dowager,  but  if  the  eunuchs  should  have  palmed  off  a  coun- 
terfeit, who  of  the  visitors  would  have  been  the  wiser?  The  writer 
believes,  and  will  maintain,  that  he  was  privileged  to  enter  the  imperial 
bedchamber  and  sitting-room;  yet  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  eunuchs 
held  all  the  cards.  Certain  it  is  that  they  were  thoroughly  frightened, 
particularly  when  they  had  to  break  the  seals  on  the  doors,  which  had 
not  been  violated  since  the  flight  of  the  imperial  household. 

"In  the  Emperor's  apartments  none  of  the  ornaments  or  bric-a-brac 
had  been  taken  away.  The  rooms  were  completely  furnished  and  fitted 
for  occupancy,  while  in  all  the  buildings  previously  visited  there  had 
been  a  wholesale  sweep  of  everything  removable.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
it  is  believed  that  Emperor  Kuang  Hsti  had  been  for  two  years  a  pris- 
oner, exiled  to  another  and  distant  part  of  the  sacred  city,  but  it  may  be 
that  these  apartments  were  kept  as  he  left  them,  or  against  a  possible 
reoccupation. 

"There  was  one  spacious  salon,  furnished  with  massive  carved  tables 
and  chairs  after  European  fashion,  and  many  wonderful  old  cabinets  in 
lacquer  and  carving.  Elaborately  bound  Chinese  books,  writing  mate- 
rials, fans,  smoking  outfits,  were  strewn  about  as  if  the  place  had  wholly 
escaped  the  cyclone  of  flight  and  panic  which  must  have  surged  through 
the  forbidden  city  when  the  guns  of  the  allies  were  booming  along  the 
road  to  Peking. 


402  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

"It  began  to  be  noticed  that  French,  American  and  English  made 
clocks  were  conspicuously  in  evidence  around  the  walls.  There  were 
at  least  a  dozen  of  them,  all  exceedingly  costly,  and  some  of  great  art 
value.  The  foreigners'  clock  has  made  a  peaceful  conquest  of  China, 
and  later  it  was  found  in  the  rooms  of  the  Empress  Dowager  that  her  im- 
posing array  of  clocks  would  suffice  to  stock  a  Broadway  jeweler's  shop. 

"It  was  in  the  bedchamber  of  the  Emperor  that  the  clock  of  all  royal 
clocks  was  found.  It  was  a  superb  exhibit  in  itself.  The  loot  fever, 
held  sternly  in  check,  burned  fiercely  in  the  breast  of  every  beholder. 
The  article  was  a  gold  chariot  standing  nearly  three  feet  high,  to  which 
were  harnessed  two  gold  elephants.  Upon  the  wheels  and  body  of  the 
chariot  or  cart  stood  the  clock.  The  face  of  it  was  set  around  with  a 
ring  of  rubies  and  the  castellated  top  was  thickly  studded  with  jewels. 
The  harness  of  the  elephants  was  jeweled.  The  whole  fabric  looked  like 
a  wonderful  plaything,  as  if  by  pressing  a  spring  or  winding  a  key  the 
elephants  would  pace  solemnly  across  the  floor,  dragging  the  chariot 
and  the  resplendent  clock. 

"Whether  this  treasure  was  overlooked  in  the  hasty  packing  of  the 
agitated  imperial  family,  or  whether  all  was  not  gold  that  glittered  so 
dazzlingly,  could  not  be  decided  offhand.  The  treasures  which  one  was 
sure  of  as  being  genuine  were  the  great  stores  of  jade  ornaments  and 
porcelains.  The  watchful  eunuchs  let  no  man  flock  by  himself.  Their 
vigilance  was  painful.  There  was  nothing  at  all  to  do  in  the  souvenir 
line,  and  the  American  officers  were  themselves  as  anxious  that  nothing 
should  be  taken  away.  But  it  seemed  a  pity  when  one's  pockets  would 
hold  so  many  pieces  of  almost  priceless  jade.  The  loot  fever  is  both  con- 
tagious and  demoralizing,  and  so  long  as  missionaries  hold  daily  sales  of 
loot  in  Peking  it  is  hard  for  the  layman  to  keep  his  moral  vision  clear. 

"It  was  when  General  Wilson  demanded,  as  his  final  order,  that  the 
rooms  of  the  Empress  Dowager  be  opened  for  his  inspection  that  the 
eunuchs  showed  symptoms  of  collapse.  They  could  not  find  the  keys; 
there  was  great  confusion,  incessant  argument  for  ten  minutes  before 
the  gates  of  the  in*Itsure  were  reluctantly  swung  open.  There  was  first 
a  courtyard,  some  flower  beds,  and  a  long  tree-shaded  walk.  The  place 
seemed  to  be  a  separate  compound  surrounded  by  a  massive  wall  fifteen 
feet  high. 

"The  two  main  buildings  were  connected  by  a  covered  bridge.  They 
were  of  one  story,  with  the  unvarying  long  and  sloping  tiled  roof  curving 


IN  TEE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  463 

upward  at  the  lower  edges.  One  building  was  the  throneroom  of  the 
Empress  Dow^ager,  and  hers  was  a  throne  worth  seeing.  No  pigeons 
circulated  in  this  august  apartment,  which  had  been  kept  in  perfect 
order.  The  elaborate  gilded  throne  glittered  as  if  it  were  rubbed  and 
polished  daily.  The  visitors  felt  a  vague  uneasiness,  as  if  perchance 
that  imperious  and  masterful  old  beldame,  the  bugbear  and  phenom- 
enon of  modern  affairs,  might  suddenly  appear  to  resent  this  invasion 
of  her  sanctum  sanctorum. 

"Her  living  rooms  were  in  a  building  whose  exterior  suggested  an 
American  jewelry  or  art  store.  It  was  a  sort  of  pavilion,  whose  walls 
were  of  French  plate  glass,  huge  panes  set  in  around  three  sides,  a  little 
Crystal  palace.  There  were  so  many  beautiful  and  elaborately  orna- 
mented foreign  clocks  ranged  round  the  inside  walls,  cabinets  and 
tables,  such  a  profusion  of  jade,  porcelain,  bronze  and  ivory  bric-a-brac, 
that  this  art-store  effect  became  a  seeming  imitation  of  what  Li  Hung 
Chang  may  have  seen  in  his  globe  trotting  through  Burlington  arcade 
in  London  or  along  upper  Broadway  in  New  York,  Yet  while  this  liv- 
ing in  a  glass  house  seemed  to  lack  any  qualities  of  privacy,  the  impres- 
sion was  not  well  founded.  For  the  building  was  in  a  walled  inclosure, 
which  none  might  enter  without  permission  or  authority,  and  you  may 
be  sure  there  was  no  idle  curiosity  or  unwelcome  intrusion  circulating 
within  the  imperial  compound  of  the  Empress  Dowager  when  she  was 
ruling  China  ft'om  the  forbidden  city. 

"The  room  which  the  eunuchs  declared  was  her  sleeping  chamber 
opened  from  the  glittering  plate-glass  pavilion.  The  bedstead  of  the 
foreigner  is  unknown  among  the  Chinese,  and  in  the  rooms  both  of  the 
emperor  and  empress  dowager  the  royal  couches  were  no  more  than 
richly  canopied  bunks.  The  woven-wire  cots  of  a  field  hospital  would 
be  more  comfortable  for  the  pleasures  of  slumber  than  the  springless 
boxes  on  which  royalty  stretched  itself  in  the  palaces  of  the  emperor 
of  China. 

"The  word  'palace'  is  a  misnomer,  from  European  standards,  in  any 
reference  to  the  buildings  of  the  sacred  city.  The  imperial  buildings 
are  so  many  squat  pavilions  of  from  one  to  three  rooms  each.  The  pri- 
vate apartments  were  not  even  imposing  in  the  area  of  them.  They  were 
no  larger  than  a  small  cottage  bungalow  or  two  adjoining  rooms  of  a 
fair-sized  country  house.  The  astonishing  number  of  these  pavilions  and 
connecting  courts,  square  miles  of  them  in  the  aggregate,  is  a  colossal! 


464  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

picture  of  the  Chinese  way  of  building  and  living.  The  series  of  throne- 
rooms  and  the  other  buildings  explored  by  General  Wilson  and  party 
were  chosen  because  of  interesting  association.  Yet  the  extent  of  them, 
although  a  mile  from  north  to  south,  was  as  only  a  corner  of  the  sacred 
city.  By  far  the  greater  part  of  it  is  laid  out  in  parks  and  grotesque 
examples  of  Chinese  landscape  gardening  and  dotted  with  temples  and 
pagodas. 

"The  white  marble  bridge  which  spans  the  lotus-covered  lake  in  the 
grounds  of  the  sacred  city  is  famed  in  song  and  story.  From  a  distance 
it  has  been  admired  for  centuries,  and  from  the  overhanging  hills  where 
profane  e^^es  were  wont  to  seek  birdseye  views  its  length  stretched  like 
a  white  ribbon  of  lacework  laid  across  the  vivid  green  of  the  lotus-car- 
peted lake.  General  Wilson  and  party  crossed  this  bridge  in  leaving 
the  home  of  the  son  of  heaven,  but  at  such  close  range  the  general  and 
impressive  effect  was  lost,  although  the  wonderful  delicacy  and  intri- 
cacy of  the  marble  carving  of  the  balustrades  could  be  examined  in 
detail. 

"The  forbidden  city  is  about  six  centuries  old.  Its  buildings,  gardens 
and  temples  date  from  the  time  of  the  Mongols,  and  suffered  small 
change  when  they  came  into  possession  of  the  Ming  and  Manchu  emper- 
ors, nor  does  it  seem  likely  that  much  money  has  been  expended  in  re- 
pairs and  maintenance  through  this  trifling  handful  of  centuries.  The 
universal  air  of  dilapidation  and  decay  w^as  astonishing.  Crumbling 
walls  in  the  shadow  of  the  imperial  residences,  grass  and  weed  grown 
pavements  and  courts,  rotting  woodwork,  the  dirt  and  dust  of  ages 
seemed  with  melanchol.y  emphasis  to  typify  the  fate  of  China  as  a  nation 
and  a  government.  After  all,  the  tower  of  this  walled  and  moated 
sacred  city  was  vastly  impressive  not  for  what  it  was  a  spectacle  but  for 
what  it  represented.  The  seat  of  a  ruling  power  which  has  in  its  own 
strange  fashion  held  sway  over  400,000,000  of  subjects,  whose  fate  is  nov»' 
trembling  in  the  balance  and  whose  capital  is  in  possession  of  the  armies 
of  the  newer  and  more  vigorous  civilization  gathered  from  all  around 
the  world,  and  also  because  the  forbidden  city  had  been  perhaps  the 
greatest  mystery  of  modern  time,  it  was  a  day  made  memorable  for  the 
correspondent  when  he  passed  within  its  gates. 

"RALPH  D.  PAINE." 
From  Mr.  Paine's  graphic  letters  we  have,  too,  the  account  of  the 


IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  465 

siege  of  the  Roman  Catholic  stronghold  in  Peking,  even  more  dramatic 
in  many  details  that  that  of  the  British  Legation.     He  writes: 

"Peking,  Sept.  11. — Through  the  months  of  tragic  mystery  which 
curtained  the  fate  of  the  besieged  legations,  the  anxious  world  beyond 
China  heard  almost  nothing  of  the  story  of  Pei  Tang,  nor  knew  that  this 
other  and  even  more  desperate  battle  against  odds  was  being  fought 
inside  the  walls  of  Peking.  For  two  months  to  a.  day  the  French  mission 
settlement  of  the  Pei  Tang  was  besieged  and  bombarded  by  the  best 
artillery  of  the  Chinese  forces. 

"The  defenders  of  the  legations,  only  two  and  a  half  miles  away  across 
the  city,  could  hear  daily  the  heavy  cannonading,  and  by  this  token 
alone  knew  that  ^the  flag  was  still  there.'  No  communication  was  pos- 
sible between  these  two  storm  centers  of  resistance  through  all  the 
weary,  hopeless  days.  Each  knew  the  other  was  still  holding  out  only 
by  the  distant  grumble  of  big  guns. 

"The  attack  against  the  Pei  Tang  was  more  formidable  than  the  fury 
which  dashed  and  broke  against  the  legations  in  that  the  defenders 
were  a  handful  by  comparison.  The  losses  in  killed  were  more  than 
twice  greater,  with  a  unique  accompaniment  of  horrors.  The  story  is 
predominant  in  its  qualities  of  tragedy  and  heroism,  without  the  slight- 
est detraction  from  the  splendid  courage  and  sacrifices  of  those  who 
fought  inside  the  legation  barricades. 

"The  Pei  Tang  is  the  chief  stronghold  of  French  Catholicism  in  north 
China.  It  consists  of  an  imposing  gothic  cathedral,  a  convent,  found- 
ling asylum,  schools,  dwellings  for  the  priests,  the  home  of  the  arcli- 
bishop,  and  a  surrounding  settlement  just  inside  the  wall  of  the  imperial 
city  and  in  the  shadow  of  the  massive  barriers  of  the  forbidden  or  sacred 
city. 

"Proof  has  been  heaped  mountain  high  that  the  imperial  government 
was  in  active  co-operation  with  the  Boxers  in  the  anti-foreign  war  of 
extermination,  although  there  are  ministers  in  Peking  who  clung  to 
belief  in  official  assurances  well  into  the  siege,  and  when  convinced 
against  their  will  clutched  at  the  ghost  of  the  same  opinion  still.  But 
the  Boxers  did  not  have  to  blow  down  or  force  the  gates  of  the  imperial 
city  when  they  marched  against  the  Pei  Tang.  The  gates  were  opened 
for  them  and  this  could  have  been  done  only  by  direct  order  of  the  impe- 
rial government.    This  evidence  is  written  in  the  wreck  of  the  mission 


466  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

settlement  and  the  graves  of  150  men,  women  and  children  who  perished 
in  the  siege. 

"When  the  Boxer  hordes  were  loosed  against  the  foreigners  in  north 
China  3,000  residents  and  refugees,  including  native  Christians,  were 
sheltered  in  the  buildings  of  the  Pei  Tang,  the  majority  of  them  women 
and  children. 

"Archbishop  Fevier,  a  mighty  man  of  God  in  these  parts,  and  far- 
sighted  in  things  militant,  had  judged  aright  the  signs  of  gathering 
danger,  and  with  long  experience  and  a  rarely  intimate  knowledge  of 
the  Chinese  he  placed  no  faith  in  the  perfervid  promises  of  government 
protection,  and  realized  the  magnitude  of  that  which  was  about  to  hap- 
pen. He  sent  repeated  warnings  to  the  legations,  urging  the  ministers 
to  withdraw,  or  to  persuade  their  governments  to  protect  them  with 
armies,  rather  than  guards,  before  it  should  be  too  late.  His  own  prep- 
arations for  defense  could  be  pitifully  small  at  the  best.  He  would  not 
desert  his  native  converts  who  sought  protection  at  the  Pei  Tang. 

"After  urgent  appeals  there  was  sent  him  a  mixed  handful  of  French 
and  Italian  soldiers,  forty-two  in  all,  from  the  little  international  force 
sent  to  Peking  early  in  the  summer.  The  ranking  officer  was  Lieutenant 
Olieveri,  an  Italian,  and  this  command  was  the  total  number  bearing 
arms  through  the  sixty  days'  siege.  In  this  time  fourteen  soldiers  were 
killed  and  125  men,  women  and  children  perished  in  the  explosion  of 
three  separate  mines  tunneled  beneath  the  building  from  beyond  the 
imperial  city  wall  which  protected  the  Chinese  in  their  work.  Eleven 
men  and  women  were  killed  by  the  rifle  fire  which  swept  the  compounds, 
making  the  total  loss  in  killed  150.  Of  the  wounded  and  maimed  there 
were  nearly  100  more.  The  Chinese  sappers  were  digging  night  and 
day.  It  was  only  a  question  of  days  before  the  site  of  the  cathedral  and 
mission  buildings  would  become  one  vast  and  ragged  crater,  a  huge  pit 
entombing  thousands. 

"Among  those  killed  in  the  explosion  of  the  first  mine  were  forty 
children  at  prayers  in  their  dormitory  and  thirty  women  in  an  adjoining 
wing  of  the  asylum.  When  the  relief  column  rescued  the  survivors  on 
August  16,  or  two  days  after  the  taking  of  the  city,  and  the  end  of  the 
siege  of  the  legations,  the  sisters  had  begun  voluntarily  to  abstain  from 
all  food,  that  what  remained  might  be  doled  out  among  the  children,  th'- 
refugees  and  the  exhausted  soldiers. 

"On  this  same  day,  beneath  the  floor  of  the  chapel,  the  only  place  of 


IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  467 

refuge  left,  where  there  was  comparative  protection  against  shell  and 
rifle  fire,  could  be  heard  the  muffled  tap,  tap,  of  the  Chinese  sappers. 
Additional  mines  under  other  buildings  were  making  ready  to  be  ex- 
ploded on  that  or  the  following  day.  Never  in  history  was  rescue 
more  opportune,  more  providential,  if  you  will,  than  that  which  saved 
the  defenders  of  the  Pei  Tang  from  almost  certain  annihilation  on  the 
16th  of  August. 

"The  white  cathedral  would  be  a  notably  imposing  structure,  even 
were  it  not  planted  towering  above  the  squat  monotony  of  Chinese  tem- 
ple and  palace  architecture.  It  was  the  finest  target  for  shell  fire  in  all 
north  China,  and  the  Chinese  made  'good  practice'  with  the  best  artillery 
at  their  disposal,  including  a  battery  of  ten  Krupp  model  field  pieces, 
captured  by  the  relief  column  and  a  4.7-inch  modern  rifle  mounted  at  a 
corner  of  the  imperial  city  wall,  at  only  1,500  yards  range  from  the  Pei 
Tang.  Great  holes  were  ripped  in  the  masonry  of  the  upper  walls,  shells 
tore  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  building  or  dropped  on  the 
floor  within,  while  the  front  is  curiously  tattooed  with  the  marks  of  rifle 
bullets,  like  some  new  and  freakish  pattern  of  stucco  work. 

"Amid  this  hurricane  of  projectiles  none  of  the  images  of  the  saints 
escaped  injury,  from  casual  mutilation  to  the  decapitation  of  St.  Joseph. 
But  the  sisters  point  to  the  image  of  the  Virgin,  raised  above  all  the  rest, 
which  alone  remained  unharmed,  and  talk  of  the  miraculous,  while  the 
Chinese  converts  press  forward  to  worship  at  the  shrine  with  a  new, 
vague  wonder. 

"But  war  was  not  as  kind  to  mortals  in  the  Pei  Tang,  and  the 
wreck  caused  by  the  mines  is  the  most  impressive  and  quickening  re- 
minder of  the  siege  days  in  all  of  burned,  battered  and  looted  Peking. 
A  crater,  fifty  feet  across,  thirty  feet  deep,  funnel-shaped,  is  where  stood 
two  rows  of  populous  buildings.  An  amazing  tangle  of  wreckage,  as  if 
a  Cyclops  had  crushed  houses  in  the  might  of  his  grip,  marks  the  scene 
of  the  second  explosion.  The  third  suggests  a  combination  of  these  two 
catastrophies,  a  huge  excavation,  fringed  with  shattered  remnants  of 
stone-walled  and  tile-roofed  buildings.  Twenty-five  men  were  killed  in 
this  heart-quaking  upheaval  while  attempting  to  drive  a  counter-mine. 

"It  seems  almost  incredible  that  any  one  could  have  survived  these 
rending  shocks  within  the  limits  of  the  inclosures.  Masonry,  tons  and 
tons  of  earth,  fragments  of  humanity,  heads,  limbs,  trunks,  were  thrown 
hundreds  of  feet  at  each  explosion.    But  each  time,  as  soon  as  the  sur- 


468  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

vivors  could  pull  themselves  together,  they  counted  the  roll  of  the  miss- 
ing, rescued  the  wounded  and  returned  to  their  posts  of  defense. 

"The  explosion  of  a  mine  was  the  signal  for  a  general  attack  by  the 
Chinese,  who  hoped  to  rush  the  barricades  in  the  confusion  and  shock 
of  disaster.  But  so  ably  had  Lieutenant  Olieveri  constructed  his  system 
of  defense,  and  so  splendidly  had  he  inspired  and  disciplined  his  little 
guard  that  their  last  line  of  resistance  was  never  broken,  and  they  even 
made  a  dashing  sortie  and  captured  a  Chinese  cannon,  which  had  been 
planted  in  front  of  the  entrance  gate  at  point-blank  range. 

"When  ammunition  ran  short  a  corporal's  guard  stole  out  at  night, 
and,  slipping  through  the  Chinese  lines,  raided  an  imperial  magazine 
which  was  less  than  500  yards  from  the  Pei  Tang.  They  secured  all  the 
powder,  bullets  and  caps  they  could  carry,  fought  their  way  back  and 
swore  because  they  had  not  been  able  to  find  rifle  cartridges.  The 
sisters  gathered  the  brass  shells  which  had  been  exploded  and  with  the 
material  of  the  raid  made  cartridges  and  kept  the  troops  supplied  with 
ammunition. 

"Among  the  sisters  of  charity  of  the  order  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  who 
ministered  unto  those  so  sorely  beset  in  the  Pei  Tang  was  Sister  Angelle, 
an  Italian  girl,  who  speaks  English  as  to  the  manner  born.  With  dra- 
matic vividness  and  an  alert  sense  of  humor,  so  that  laughter  and  tears 
were  always  at  odds,  she  told  me  the  story  of  the  siege  and  the  suffering, 
volunteering  to  act  as  guide  through  the  scenes  of  devastation.  She 
rejoiced  with  militant  enthusiasm  over  the  valor  of  our  soldiers  and  the 
losses  inflicted  by  them;  she  thrilled  with  pride  over  the  stubbornness 
and  seeming  hopelessness  of  the  resistance  and  in  the  same  breath  re- 
gretted that  she  could  not  have  suffered  martyrdom  'as  a  shining  prom- 
ise of  the  life  that  is  to  come.' 

"She  was  afraid  of  nothing  save  a  camera  and  turned  her  back  when- 
ever the  deadly  instrument  was  in  position.  Wherefore  the  accompany- 
ing photograph  is  eminently  unsatisfactory,  particularly  because  in  ad- 
dition to  being  a  heroine  of  rarest  quality  Sister  Angelle  is  young  and 
passing  fair. 

"It  was  as  follows  that  she  told  something  of  the  story  of  Pei  Tang: 

"  'When  the  storm  broke  3,000  souls  were  gathered  in  our  buildings 
and  the  archbishop  was  able  to  obtain  only  thirty  French  and  twelve 
Italian  soldiers  as  a  guard,  with  a  limited  supply  of  ammunition,  and 
no  additional  arms  with  which  to  equip  our  men  residents.     We  had  500 


IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  469 

children  in  our  foundling  asylum  and  several  hundred  women  refugees 
and  we  knew  not  at  all  how  we  were  going  to  feed  all  our  helpless  ones. 
The  wall  of  the  imperial  city  overhangs  our  place,  as  you  see,  only 
thirty  yards  away,  and  we  knew  that  in  case  of  attack  the  Chinese  would 
have  this  vantage  ground,  so  that  prolonged  resistance  seemed  utterly 
hopeless. 

"  'On  the  15th  of  June  the  Boxers  marched  against  us,  but  the  gates 
of  the  imperial  city  were  closed  and  barred  against  them,  and,  as  you 
know,  we  are  just  inside  these  walls.  The  Boxers  could  not  beat  down 
the  gates  and  retired  without  accomplishing  anything  against  us.  The 
closing  of  the  gates  showed  that  on  that  day  we  were  still  protected  by 
edict  of  the  imperial  authorities.  But  on  the  following  day  the  Boxer 
army  returned  and  the  imperial  gate  was  thrown  open  so  that  the  at- 
tacking force  entered  without  opposition.  Our  brave  soldiers  had  been 
working  all  night  building  barricades  and  digging  trenches  to  strength- 
en the  entrance  gate  of  the  Pei  Tang.  The  enemy  brought  cannon  with 
them  and  made  a  furious  assault  on  the  16th.  The  street  of  houses 
around  our  outer  gate  was  destroyed  and  our  defenders  driven  back  to 
the  second  gate  of  the  Pei  Tang,  but  they  were  pushed  no  further  for  six- 
ty days,  so  that  we  held  all  the  ground  of  our  immediate  inclosure. 

"  *A  few  days  later  we  were  being  attacked  on  three  sides.  On  the 
wall  were  hundreds  of  Chinese  riflemen  and  others  armed  with  gingals, 
or  two-men  guns.  In  front  was  the  Krupp  battery  and  a  force  trying 
to  carry  the  gates.  At  the  back  of  the  cathedral  and  buildings  we  were 
within  range  of  a  big  modern  gun  and  menaced  by  mines  being  worked 
toward  us  from  that  direction.  We  were  powerless  to  prevent  the  laying 
of  these  mines  because  there  were  not  enough  soldiers  for  a  sortie  be- 
yond the  wall.  In  fact,  we  did  not  know  anything  about  this  devilish 
work  until  the  first  mine  was  exploded.  Forty  of  our  little  children 
were  at  prayers.  Every  one  of  them  was  killed  and  the  bodies  of  some 
of  them  are  buried  deep  beneath  the  ruins.  Five  Italian  soldiers  were 
killed  by  the  same  explosion.  Where  there  had  been  rows  of  buildings 
there  was  nothing  to  see  save  a  huge  hole  in  the  ground.  It  was  very, 
very  dreadful.  The  shock  made  all  the  other  buildings  rock  to  their 
foundations.  Tons  and  tons  of  earth  and  stone  were  thrown  on  the 
roofs. 

"  'Captain  Olieveri — ah!  there  is  a  man  of  iron  for  you — was  sleeping 
in  his  room  more  than  100  feet  away  from  the  explosion.    The  mass  of 


470  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

earth  and  masonry,  hurled  this  long  distance,  crushed  in  the  roof  of  his 
building  and  he  was  buried  five  feet  deep.  We  rushed  to  look  for  him 
to  take  command  after  this  disaster.  We  saw  that  his  bed  was  buried 
beneath  all  the  debris,  but  did  not  think  he  had  been  in  his  room  at  the 
time.  A  soldier  went  around  the  outposts  searching  for  him.  The  brave 
captain  could  not  be  found.  Some  Chinese  began  digging  in  the  ruins 
of  his  room  and  after  a  time  found  his  iron  bed  all  twisted  and  battered 
out  of  shape.  No  legs  were  sticking  out  from  it,  and  the  mystery  deep- 
ened. But  presently  we  heard  a  weak  call  for  help,  and,  lo  and  behold! 
the  captain  was  dug  out  of  a  corner  of  his  room,  where  he  had  been 
thrown  by  the  shock  of  the  explosion.  He  was  very  much  alive,  and  save 
for  a  few  bruises  was  himself  again  and  fit  for  duty  the  same  day.  The 
escape  seemed  miraculous,  especially  when  you  look  at  his  bed  yonder, 
such  a  sad  wreck  as  it  is,  and  made  of  iron. 

"  'The  second  mine  was  exploded  a  few  days  later  very  near  the  scene 
of  the  first.  Thirty  women  and  fifteen  men  were  killed.  Then  the  Chi- 
nese started  to  mine  across  the  other  side  of  our  buildings.  As  soon  as 
this  was  discovered  Captain  Olieveri  set  his  men  at  work  digging  a  coun- 
ter-mine. Thus  it  happened  that  the  opposing  forces  were  fighting  each 
other  underground,  while  we  women  prayed  and  waited  and  worked  as 
best  we  could.  The  counter-mine  was  successful  in  ascertaining  the  line 
of  direction  of  the  Chinese  tunnel,  for  the  two  forces  could  hear  each 
other  digging  and  picking  rock  deep  beneath  the  surface.  Our  people 
were  removed  from  the  building  overhead,  but  the  Chinese  mine  was 
exploded  before  our  workmen  expected  it,  and  twenty-five  of  our  men 
v/ere  blown  to  pieces  from  their  counter-mine.  The  head  of  one  of  them 
was  hurled  clear  across  our  compound,  as  if  it  had  been  a  cannon  ball. 

"  'But  even  amid  so  much  discouragement  our  soldiers  made  a  sortie 
from  the  gate  of  the  Pei  Tang  and  captured  one  of  the  cannon  with  which 
the  Chinese  were  bombarding  us.  It  was  a  brave  and  dashing  thing 
to  do.  They  dragged  the  gun  in  through  the  gate  and  there  it  stands 
in  front  of  the  cathedral.  That  is  our  trophy,  and  how  we  all  cheered 
when  it  was  safely  in  our  possession.  And  again,  when  the  soldiers 
got  into  the  Chinese  magazine  and  brought  back  the  ammunition  sup- 
plies. Ah,  it  was  worth  while  suffering  a  little  to  feel  the  glow  of 
victory  over  such  an  enemy.  The  good  God  was  kind  to  us,  although  so 
many  innocent  ones  had  to  die.  One  day,  fifteen  of  the  sisters  were  in 
the  cathedral  at  mass.     We  had  barely  passed  out  of  the  west  door 


in  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING.  471 

when  a  shell  dropped  on  the  floor  and  exploded  where  we  had  been 
kneeling.  And  when  forty  of  our  dear  children  were  blown  to 
pieces  by  the  mine,  it  was  my  duty  tO'  have  been  with  them  at  that  hour, 
putting  them  to  bed,  but  I  had  lingered  a  little  to  bandage  a  wounded 
man  on  my  way  from  the  chapel. 

"  'There  were  so  many  people  to  be  fed  at  the  last  that  nearly  all  the 
rice  was  gone  and  the  supply  of  horse  and  donkey  meat  very  short.  It 
was  not  fitting  that  the  sisters  should  take  this  food  when  those  who  had 
sought  our  protection  were  beginning  to  sicken  and  die  of  starvation. 
And  our  soldiers  must  eat  to  fight,  and  fight  to  live.  And  so  the  sisters 
decided  to  take  no  more  food,  beginning  with  the  morning  of  the  16th 
of  August.  For  two  days  we  had  heard  distinctly  the  Chinese  mining 
beneath  our  chapel.  We  knew  that  the  allied  armies  were  fighting  their 
way  into  Peking  on  the  14th  by  the  sound  of  heavy  firing.  But  the  next 
day  came  and  there  were  no  signs  of  relief.  We  thought  they  would  go 
first  to  the  legations,  but  it  seemed  as  if  we  had  been  forgotten.  And 
we  feared  that  the  relieving  forces  might  have  been  repulsed. 

"  'Late  in  the  forenoon  of  the  15th  a  French  sentry  posted  on  the  roof 
of  the  cathedral  reported  that  he  could  see  several  women  in  European 
garb  walking  on  the  parapet  of  the  Chien  Mien  gate.  Then  we  were  sure 
they  were  from  the  legations.  But  the  forces  did  not  come  to  our  rescue 
until  the  following  day.  The  Chinese  had  expected  to  explode  three 
mines  that  very  night,  and  I  am  sure  I  had  gained  my  crown  of  martyr- 
dom but  for  our  rescue  by  the  mercy  of  God.' 

"In  what  is  left  of  the  Pei  Tang  settlement  the  priests  and  sisters  are 
now  caring  for  500  children.  In  the  places  of  the  little  ones  that  per- 
ished the  sisters  have  gathered  the  children  from  amid  the  chaos  of 
Peking.  Their  blessed  work  goes  on,  framed  in  the  ghastly  wreckage 
of  those  cruel  mines. 

"The  American  and  English  protestant  mission  buildings  in  Peking 
were  destroyed  by  fire  and  shell.  Their  occupants  were  less  fortunate, 
or  more  fortunate,  if  you  please,  in  that  their  separate  and  scattered  iso- 
lations, without  any  protection  of  troops,  made  any  attempt  at  defense 
Vv^holly  out  of  the  question,  and  their  people  must  fall  back  on  the  lega- 
tions for  refuge.  The  Pei  Tang  was  a  settlement  apart  and  proved  itself 
an  immortal  'ndividuality. 

"It  may  be  believed  that  when  the  rescuing  troops  heard  the  story 
on  the  16th  of  August  they  reproached  themselves  for  not  having  started 


472  IN  THE  IMPERIAL  CITY  OF  PEKING. 

for  the  Pei  Tang  the  very  day  the  legations  were  relieved.  But  the 
generals  did  not  realize  the  dire  stress  in  the  shadow  of  the  shell-racked 
cathedral  across  the  city.  The  defenders  could  send  no  anessages  for 
help.     They  could  only  fight,  wait,  hope  and  starve. 

"On  Sunday  last  I  attended  a  solemn  high  mass  and  Te  Deum  in  the 
cathedral.  The  autumn  sunlight  streamed  through  great  gaps  in  walls, 
roofs  and  windows,  where  screaming  shells  had  torn.  When  the  breeze 
veered  there  came  from  trenches  a  few  hundred  yards  away  the  sugges- 
tion of  many  Chinese  soldiers  scantily  buried.  High  above  the  shat- 
tered facade  of  the  cathedral  in  vivid  array  snapped  and  fluttered  the 
flags  of  the  allied  powers  whose  armies  marched  to  Peking  at  the  trum- 
pet call  of  humanity.  There  flaunted  the  colors  of  France,  Austria, 
Belgium,  Japan,  Italy,  Great  Britain,  America,  Germany  and  Russia. 
The  choir,  with  harmonious  though  decimated  ranks,  and  the  patched 
organ  swelled  in  the  Te  Deum.  It  was  the  anthem  of  the  brotherhood  of 
man  on  this  memorable  day.  Many  legation  residents  attended  this 
service  of  thanksgiving,  including  nearly  all  of  the  ministers  remaining 
in  Peking. 

"It  happened  that  on  the  return  from  the  Pei  Tang  a  German  military 
band  fell  in  with  the  escort.  The  line  filed  through  the  narrow  squalid 
street  where  Baror  von  Ketteler  had  met  his  death  on  his  way  to  the 
tsung-li-yamen,  a  sacrifice  for  his  colleagues.  As  by  a  common  impulse, 
the  band  began,  in  slow  and  dragging  measure,  to  play  a  dead  march, 
so  that  one  tragedy  after  another  was  linked  in  recollection  from  the  Pei 
Tang  to  Legation  street. 

RAL-PH  D.  PAINE." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
FORMULATING  TERMS  OF  PEACE. 

Diplomacy  More  Dilatory  Thau  Warfare— Various  Views  of  the  Powers— Demands  Made 
by  the  United  States— Count  Ton  Waldersee  Appointed  Commander-in-Chief— Li  Hung 
Chang  and  His  Work— Punishment  of  the  Guilty  Chinese— Terms  of  Settlement  with 
China— Wu  Ting  Fang's  Opinion — Views  of  a  Chinese  Reformer. 

THE  military  portion  of  the  world's  dealings  with  China  proved 
to  be  simpler  of  solution  than  the  diplomatic.  Short,  sharp 
and  decisive  as  the  campaign  of  the  allied  powers  was,  the 
progress  of  negotiation  and  ultimate  settlement  was  slow  and 
to  many  unsatisfactory.  Points  of  divergence  between  the  policies  of 
the  powers  early  made  themselves  visible  and  more  than  once  relations 
became  strained  almost  to  the  breaking-point.  At  one  time  England 
and  the  United  States  would  be  working  together  in  entire  harmony, 
with  the  other  powers  at  variance  from  them.  Again  Germany  and 
England  would  be  the  partners,  with  Russia,  France  and  the  United 
States  united  in  another  policy.  It  was  the  latter  arrangement  of  friend- 
ships that  appeared  the  more  stable. 

Broadly  speaking,  the  United  States,  France  and  Russia  stood  for 
less  severe  retributive  measures  than  those  advocated  by  Germany  and 
approved  by  Great  Britain,  Austria  and  Italy.  It  was  on  this  line  that 
the  powers  divided  almost  from  the  start  of  negotiations. 

Even  throughout  the  period  of  the  siege  in  Peking  and  active  hostili- 
ties, the  United  States  took  a  position  more  generous  to  China  than  that 
of  any  of  the  other  powers.  This  was  that  belief  in  the  good  faith  of 
the  Chinese  authorities  should  be  maintained  to  the  last ;  that  the  Boxer 
outbreak  was  against  the  will  of  the  Emperor,  who  was  powerless  to 
stop  it;  that  the  expedition  of  the  allied  armies  was  really  supporting 
the  government  of  Cliina  against  an  uprising  which  the  government 
could  not  quell  unaided.  The  United  States  never  lost  sight  of  this 
effort  to  accept  Chinese  assurances  in  good  faith  to  the  very  end,  yielding 
to  the  Chinese  minister  in  Washington,  Wu  Ting  Fang,  an  unvarying 
courtesy  and  even  confidence  in  their  relations.  It  was  the  United 
States  that  first  demanded  and  obtained  free  intercourse  by  telegraph 

473 


474  FORMULATING   TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

from  Washington  with  the  beleaguered  Minister  Conger  in  Peking,  thus 
relieving  the  world  of  much  of  the  suspense  long  after  shocking  reports 
of  the  torture  and  death  of  all  foreigners  had  been  spread  abroad. 

Acknowledging  compliance  with  this  demand,  the  government  at 
Washington  next  delivered  to  the  Chinese  minister  on  August  8  a  brief 
ultimatum  in  approximately  the  following  terms: 

"1.  That  our  minister  and  his  family  as  well  as  other  Americans  and 
foreigners  in  Peking  shall  be  protected  by  the  imperial  government  and 
shall  not  be  sent  out  of  Peking  unless  the  ministers  find  it  agreeable  and 
are  willing  to  do  so  under  instructions  from  their  home  governments. 

"2.  That  the  troops  of  the  Chinese  government  shall  lend  aid  to  the 
protection  of  the  ministers  in  Peking  and  shall  also  act  with  the  allied 
troops  when  they  arrive  in  restoring  order  and  putting  a  stop  to  blood- 
shed in  Peking,  thus  affording  all  the  protection  possible  to  the  legation- 
ers." 

It  was  on  the  same  date  that  a  commander-in-chief  for  the  allied 
forces  operating  in  China  was  chosen  and  appointed  by  the  German  Em- 
peror, who  had  been  conceded  that  authority  by  all  the  powers. 

General  Count  von  Waldersee,  late  chief  of  the  general  staff  of  the 
German  army,  was  born  in  1832.  He  entered  the  army  in  1850,  and 
served  with  distinction  through  the  war  of  1866  and  through  the  Franco- 
German  campaign.  In  1882  he  became  quartermaster  general  and  acted 
as  deputy  chief  of  the  general  staff  on  behalf  of  the  aged  Count  von 
Moltke,  upon  whose  resignation  he  succeeded  to  the  position  of  the  chief 
of  the  general  staff.  He  has  often  been  the  recipient  of  pronounced  com- 
mendation for  marked  military  ability,  and  at  one  time  the  late  King 
Humbert  of  Italy  joined  the  German  Emperor  in  such  praise.  In  1866 
Count  von  Waldersee  married  the  widow  of  Prince  Frederick  Schleswig- 
Holstein,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Lee,  a  New  York  grocer.  At 
Stuttgart  the  New  Yorker's  widow  met  and  married  a  German  diplomat, 
Baron  Wechter,  afterward  ambassador  to  France.  In  1864  her  daugh- 
ter, Mary  Esther,  married  Prince  Frederick  of  Schleswig-Holstein,  who 
saw  her  by  accident  in  a  hotel.  The  prince  was  immensely  rich  and 
seventy  years  old.  Miss  Lee  was  poor  and  twenty-seven.  On  the  wed- 
ding trip  to  Palestine  she  persuaded  him  to  make  over  to  her  his  entire 
fortune.  He  did  so  and  died  six  months  later.  Not  long  afterward  the 
widowed  princess  was  married  to  Count  Waldersee,  then  a  rising  sol- 


FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE.  416 

dier.    The  countess  has  long  been  the  personal  friend  of  the  German 
Empress. 

The  appointment  of  Count  von  Waldersee  was  approved  everywhere, 
but  it  must  be  confessed  that  his  labors  did  not  justify  the  choice  to  the 
degree  that  was  hoped.  His  progress  from  Germany  toward  Peking 
v/as  slow  in  the  extreme,  marked  chiefly  by  the  social  honors  which  he 
waited  to  receive  before  starting  and  at  every  possible  point  on  the  way, 
and  long  before  he  reached  the  scene  of  conflict  the  hostilities  were  vir- 
tually at  an  end. 

Very  early  in  the  controversies  Earl  Li  Hung  Chang  became  as  con- 
spicuous as  he  always  has  been  in  Chinese  affairs  since  China  entered 
into  relations  with  the  Western  World.  Starting  from  Canton,  the 
seat  of  his  vice-royalty,  he  journeyed  toward  Peking  to  share  the  negotia- 
tions, at  the  command  of  his  imperial  master.  His  journey  was  inter- 
rupted for  a  time  at  Shanghai  by  what  was  almost  tantamount  to  arrest, 
some  of  the  powers  choosing  to  discredit  the  purpose  of  the  old  states- 
man's journey  and  the  sincerity  of  his  motives.  Unwilling  to  share  in 
such  action,  the  State  Department  at  Washington  sent  the  following- 
telegrams  to  the  representatives  of  the  United  States  in  Berlin,  Vienna, 
Paris,  London,  Rome,  Tokio,  and  St.  Petersburg: 

Department  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C,  August  24,  1900.— The  fol- 
lowing note  was  received  by  us  from  the  Charge  of  the  Russian  govern- 
ment at  this  capital  on  August  17: 

"I  have  just  received  a  communication  from  the  imperial  government 
informing  me  of  the  resolution  of  admirals  of  the  allied  fleets  interdict- 
ing the  plenipotentiary  of  the  Chinese  government,  Li  Hung  Chang,  from 
all  communication  with  the  Chinese  authorities  in  the  event  of  his  ar- 
rival at  Taku. 

"This  resolution  being  inexplicable,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  all  powers 
have  recognized  the  utility  of  admitting  his  (Li  Hung  Chang's)  services, 
in  the  eventual  negotiations  for  peace,  and  especially  because  it  would 
be  impossible  for  him  to  fulfill  his  mission  in  the  character  of  Chinese 
plenipotentiary  if  this  were  done,  it  would  be  desirable  that  the  inter- 
ested governments  should  give  orders  to  countermand  the  above-men- 
tioned decision." 

Inquiry  of  Admiral  Remey,  commanding  our  fleet  at  Taku,  was  first 
answered  that  no  such  resolution  had  been  adopted.  He  now  cables 
that  the  admirals  have  agreed  to  write  the  dean  of  the  legation  at  Pe- 


4Te  FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

king  instructing  in  case  Li  Hung  Chang  should  arrive  at  Taku,  and 
meantime  not  to  allow  him  to  communicate  with  Chinese  shore  authori- 
ties.    Bemey  dissented  from  last  proposition. 

We  take  the  same  view  expressed  in  the  Russian  note.  In  interests 
of  peace  and  effective  presentation  of  just  demands  of  all  powers  against 
China,  it  seems  important  that  the  Chinese  plenipotentiary  should  be 
able  to  communicate  both  with  his  own  government  and  its  military 
commandant,  whose  action  will  be  necessary  to  any  suspension  of  hos- 
tilities as  required  in  telegram  to  you  of  22d. 

Chinese  minister  here  is  without  power  or  advices.  Li  Hung  Chang 
is  prima  facie  authorized  by  imperial  decree  to  negotiate,  and  is  the 
only  representative  of  responsible  authority  in  China  so  far  as  we  are 
advised.  We  have  instructed  our  representative  in  China  in  the  spirit 
of  the  Russian  note. 

Any  misunderstanding  or  divergent  action  on  the  subject  by  the 
representatives  of  the  powers  in  China  would  be  unfortunate,  and  we 
would  be  glad  to  learn  from  other  powers  if  there  are  reasons  not  known 
to  us  which  in  their  judgment  should  lead  to  a  view  different  from  that 
which  we  take. 

You  will  communicate  this  to  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  await- 
ing early  response. 

ADEE,  Acting  Secretary  of  State. 

The  prompt  result  of  this  message  was  a  change  in  the  attitude  of 
the  powers.  Li  Hung  Chang  proceeded  on  the  way  to  Peking,  and  ar- 
riving there  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  foreign  diplomats  for 
settlement  of  the  terms  of  peace. 

Another  complication  that  arose  was  based  on  the  varying  opinions 
of  the  powers  as  to  how  large  a  force  should  be  maintained  in  Peking 
and  how  rapidly  the  troops  should  be  withdrawn.  For  a  time  it  looked 
as  if  the  forces  of  Russia  and  the  United  States  would  be  withdrawn 
irrespective  of  the  action  of  the  other  powers,  but  more  harmonious 
plans  were  arranged  and  that  crisis  passed.  Many  of  the  Russian  and 
American  troops  were  withdrawn,  however,  the  former  to  Tientsin, 
Taku  and  Port  Arthur,  the  latter  to  Manila. 

As  autumn  advanced,  the  demands  upon  China  for  terms  of  settle- 
ment and  the  punishment  of  responsible  officials  began  to  take  definite 
form.     At  Peking,  on  November  11,  the  treasurer  of  the  province  of 


FOBMULATING    TERM8    OF   PEACE.  47Y 

Pechili,  one  Chinese  general  and  a  Chinese  colonel,  who  had  been  found 
by  a.  court-martial  to  be  responsible  for  the  slaughter  of  seventeen 
American  and  English  missionaries  at  Paoting-Fu  and  the  torture  of 
four  others  who  were  rescued  alive,  were  shot,  together  with  twenty 
prominent  Boxers,  with  the  approval  of  Field  Marshal  Count  von  Wal- 
dersee.  Tien  Yung  was  the  name  of  the  provincial  treasurer  executed. 
His  high  official  comrades  who  suffered  a  like  fate  were  General  Wei 
Shung  Kong  and  Colonel  Kiu.  After  death  the  condemned  men's  heads 
were  cut  off  and  exposed  on  poles  as  a  warning  to  the  populace.  Prince 
Ching  and  Li  Hung  Chang,  in  defense  of  their  own  positions  as  peace- 
makers, at  the  same  time  were  pressing  the  Dowager  Empress  for  the 
execution  of  the  guilty  princes  and  ministers,  as  demanded  by  foreign 
powers. 

There  was  great  danger  lest  the  plenipotentiaries  at  Peking  might 
place  themselves  in  an  awkward  predicament  and  create  a  situation 
that  would  defeat  the  ends  arrived  at  if  they  insisted  upon  conditions 
which  the  imperial  government  could  not  comply  with.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  present  government  in  China  was  not  popular  with  the 
people  and  was  simply  tolerated.  If  it  should  be  overthrown  chaos 
would  follow.  There  would  be  no  responsible  authority  with  which  the 
foreign  powers  could  treat.  It  would  be  impossible  to  apply  the  reme- 
Mes  proposed  by  the  allies  or  bring  about  the  reforms  which  they  desired. 
To  succeed  in  their  purpose  it  was  necessary  for  the  plenipotentiaries 
to  have  a  central  power  to  deal  with,  and  for  that  reason  it  was  of  vital 
importance  to  maintain  the  present  Emperor  and  protect  him  from  his 
own  people.  His  disposition  was  favorable,  his  intentions  honest  and 
progressive,  and  but  for  the  interference  of  the  Empress  Dowager  with 
his  reforms  in  1898  all  this  trouble  would  not  have  occurred.  For  these 
and  other  reasons  the  allies  could  have  no  better  authority  to  deal  with 
than  Kuang  Hsii,  although  he  was  surrounded  by  unfriendly  councilors. 

The  plenipotentiaries  as  the  first  condition  of  peace  made  a  per- 
emptory demand  for  the  heads  of  eleven  of  the  most  powerful  men  in  the 
empire,  most  of  them  princes  of  the  royal  blood.  Two  of  them  are 
nephews  of  the  Empress  Dowager  and  cousins  of  the  Emperor;  four  are 
grand-nephews  of  the  old  lady  and  second  cousins  of  the  Emperor. 
Prince  Tuan,  whose  name  heads  the  list,  is  father  of  the  heir  apparent 
to  the  throne.  The  others  are  the  Princes  Chuang  Li,  Tsai-Lien,  Tsai- 
Ting,  Kang,  Schiao  and  Schen  Huao,  Dukes  Lan  and  Ying  Teen,  Vice- 


478  FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

voy  Yu  Hsien  and  General  Tung  Fu  Hsaing.  Yu  Hsien  is  the  governor 
of  Shansi,  the  province  to  which  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress  Dowager 
fled  for  safety  and  they  are  absolutely  in  his  power.  He  recently 
pretended  to  commit  suicide  by  eating  gold  leaf.  Tung  Fu  Hsiang  is 
commander-in-chief  of  the  Chinese  army  and  all  the  troops  are  under 
his  control. 

Against  those  two  men  the  Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager  were 
absolutely  impotent  and  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  carry  out 
the  sentence  even  if  they  should  agree  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the 
foreign  envoys  and  order  their  execution.  It  might  be  possible  for  the 
Emperor  to  persuade  Yu  Hsien  and  Tung  Fu  Hsiang  to  arrest  and  be- 
head the  nine  princes  named,  but  they  certainly  would  not  do  so  if  they 
supposed  their  own  heads  were  in  danger,  and  they  were  in  a  position 
to  control  the  situation  in  China.  They  could  compel  the  Emperor  to 
reject  and  defy  the  demands  of  the  envoys,  and  if  the  latter  should  put 
them  in  the  form  of  an  ultimatum  they  would  be  placed  in  a  peculiar 
predicament. 

The  United  States  endeavored  to  persuade  the  other  powers  not  to 
press  the  matter  of  punishment  too  hard,  nor  to  insist  upon  details. 
Secretary  Hay  instructed  Mr.  Conger  to  use  his  influence  to  i)revent 
such  complications  as  might  prove  threatening.  If  the  Emperor  should 
refuse  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the  envoys  the  powers  would  be 
compelled  to  enforce  their  demands  with  an  army,  and  that  would  mean 
the  devastation  of  a  large  portion  of  China  and  the  slaughter  of  thou- 
sands of  innocent  persons.  The  United  States  government  considered 
it  wiser  to  leave  the  method  of  punishment  for  the  Emperor  to  deter- 
mine. 

The  summary  execution  of  three  officials  convicted  of  the  murder  of 
the  missionaries  at  Paoting-Fu  by  drum-head  court-martial  by  the  Ger- 
man and  British  officers  was  considered  an  unfortunate  event.  It  would 
have  been  much  more  effective  upon  the  natives  if  the  culprits  had  been 
executed  by  Chinese  authorities  instead  of  by  foreigners.  In  the  former 
case  it  would  have  been  considered  an  act  of  justice.  In  the  latter  case 
it  was  an  act  of  violence.  From  the  Chinese  point  of  view  these  men  had 
done  a  patriotic  and  praiseworthy  act,  to  which  they  were  provoked  by 
the  aggression  of  the  foreign  devils,  and  when  they  were  executed  by  the 
foreign  devils  their  death  was  a  martyrdom,  and  not  a  disgrace,  which 
the  people  will  take  the  first  opportunity  to  avenge.    Such  summary 


FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE.  479 

action  on  the  part  of  the  foreign  military  forces  naturally  prevented  the 
court  from,  returning  to  Peking.  The  Empress  Dowager  was  afraid  of 
similar  treatment,  and  every  person  of  influence  around  her  apprehen- 
sive of  his  own  safety.  Hence  they  kept  as  far  away  from  the  foreign 
devila  as  possible  and  communicated  with  them  only  over  a  telegraph 
wire. 

Dr.  Morrison,  the  famous  correspondent  in  Peking  of  the  London 
Times,  wiring  to  the  Times  from  Peking  on  November  17,  said  that, 
pressed  by  the  common  desire  for  a  speedy  termination  of  existing  condi- 
tions, the  foreign  envoys  had  finally  agreed  to  the  following  terms,  to 
be  presented  in  a  c'onjoint  note  which,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the 
governments,  would  be  pressed  upon  China  as  the  basis  of  a  pfreliminary 
treaty: 

"1.  China  shall  erect  a  monument  to  Baron  von  Ketteler  on  the  site 
where  he  was  murdered  and  send  an  imperial  prince  to  Germany  to 
convey  an  apology. 

"2.  China  shall  inflict  the  death  penalty  upon  eleven  princes  and 
officials,  already  named,  and  suspend  provincial  examinations  for  five 
years  where  the  outrages  occurred. 

"3.  In  future  all  officials  failing  to  prevent  anti-foreign  outrages 
within  their  jurisdiction  shall  be  dismissed  and  punished.  (This  is  a 
modification  of  Mr.  Conger's  proposal.) 

"4.  Indemnity  shall  be  paid  to  the  states,  corporations  and  individ- 
uals. 

"5.  The  tsung-li-yamen  shall  be  abolished  and  its  functions  vested 
in  a  foreign  minister.  Rational  intercourse  shall  be  permitted  with  the 
Emperor  as  in  civilized  countries. 

"6.  The  forts  at  Taku  and  the  other  forts  on  the  coast  of  Chili  shall 
be  razed  and  the  importation  of  arms  and  war  material  prohibited. 
Permanent  legation  guards  shall  be  maintained,  and  also  guards  of 
communication  between  Peking  and  the  sea. 

"7.  Imperial  proclamations  shall  be  posted  for  two  years  through- 
out the  empire  suppressing  Boxers." 

The  indemnity  is  to  include  compensation  for  Chinese  who  suffered 
through  being  employed  by  foreigners,  but  not  compensation  for  native 
Christians.  The  words  missionary  and  Christians  do  not  occur  in  the 
note. 

Commenting  upon  what  it  calls  Mr.  Conger's  "excellent  suggestion 


480  FORMULATING   TERMS   OF   PEACE. 

for  the  dismissal  of  officials  permitting  anti-foreign  outrages"  the  Times 
remarks  that  "this  is  the  only  considerable  addition  to  the  terms  which 
the  ministers  proposed  to  submit  to  China  last  month."  It  says  the 
"American  sense  of  justice  and  humanity  is  too  strong  and  American 
intelligence  too  keen  to  be  deluded  by  the  pitiful  Chinese  appeal  against 
the  execution  of  the  Paoting-Fu  officials." 

It  was  hoped  by  officials  in  Washington  that  the  imperial  Chinese 
decree  of  November  13  for  the  degradation  and  punishment  of  Chinese 
princes  and  leaders  implicated  in  the  Boxer  uprising  would  be  accepted 
as  sufficient  by  the  foreign  ministers  at  Peking.,  The  sentencing  of 
Prince  Tuan  to  life  imprisonment  is  an  unusually  severe  penalty  to  be 
imposed  upon  a  high  prince  in  China,  and,  in  the  opinion  of  the  officials, 
should  be  a  sufficient  guaranty  of  the  purpose  of  the  Chinese  govern- 
ment to  comply  with  the  demand  of  the  powers  for  the  punishment  of 
the  guilty.  It  is  admitted,  however,  that  certain  nations  may  destroy 
harmony  and  prevent  an  agreement  by  insisting  upon  harsher  punish- 
ment than  it  is  within  the  power  of  the  imperial  government  to  impose. 

The  text  of  the  Chinese  decree  for  the  punishment  of  the  princes  was 
received  from  Sheng,  the  director  of  telegraphs  in  China,  by  Minister 
Wu  Ting  Fang  in  Washington,  November  16.  It  was  at  once  presented 
to  Secretary  of  State  Hay.    It  read  as  follows: 

"An  imperial  decree  of  November  13  deprives  Prince  THian  and 
Prince  Chwang  of  their  ranks  and  offices  and  orders  them  to  be  impris- 
oned for  life;  Prince  Yih  and  Secondary  Prince  Ying  to  be  imprisoned; 
Secondary  Prince  Lien  to  be  deprived  of  his  rank;  Lan  and  Ying  Nien  to 
be  degraded  in  rank;  Kang  Yi,  being  dead,  no  penalty  can  be  imposed 
upon  him,  and  Chao  Shu  Chiao  to  be  degraded  but  retained  in  office,  and 
Yu  Hsien  to  be  exiled  to  the  farthest  boundary." 

While  the  administration  was  gratified  at  the  action  of  the  Chinese 
government  toward  punishing  some  of  the  guilty,  Washington  officials 
did  not  think  the  decree  went  far  enough.  The  name  of  General  Tung 
Fuh  Siang,  the  commanding  general  of  the  Chinese  troops,  was  missing 
from  the  list.  An  authority  on  China  explained  that  this  omission  was 
due  to  the  fact  that  Tung  Fuh  Siang  is  supported  by  his  troops  and  that 
it  would  be  extremely  embarrassing  to  the  Chinese  Emperor  to  attempt 
to  punish  him,  and  it  was  deemed  advisable  in  the  interest  of  the  safety 
of  the  dynasty  and  the  prompt  settlement  of  the  Chinese  question  to 
postpone  action  in  his  case.     The  administration,  however,  believed  that 


FORMULATING   TEBM8   OF   PEACE.  481 

he  should  be  promptly  punished,  and  it  was  decided  to  instruct  Minister 
Conger  to  insist  that  that  he  should  suffer. 

The  German  demands  were  voiced  by  Chancellor  von  Bulow  as  fol- 
lows: 

"China  will  erect  a  monument  to  Baron  von  Ketteler  on  the  site 
where  he  was  murdered  and  send  an  imperial  prince  to  Germany  to 
convey  an  apology.  She  shall  inflict  the  death  penalty  upon  eleven 
princes  and  officials  already  named  and  suspend  provincial  examina- 
tions for  five  years  where  the  outrages  occurred. 

"In  future  all  officials  failing  to  prevent  anti-foreign  outrages  within 
their  jurisdiction  shall  be  dismissed  and  punished. 

"Indemnity  shall  be  paid  to  states,  corporations  and  individuals. 

"The  tsung-li-yamen  shall  be  abolished  and  its  functions  vested  in  a 
foreign  minister.  Rational  intercourse  shall  be  permitted  with  the 
Emperor,  as  in  civilized  countries. 

"The  forts  at  Taku  and  the  other  forts  on  the  coast  of  China  shall  be 
razed,  and  the  importations  of  arms  and  war  material  prohibited. 

"Permanent  legation  guards  shall  be  maintained,  and  also  guards  of 
communication  between  Peking  and  the  sea. 

"Imperial  proclamations  shall  be  posted  for  two  years  throughout 
the  empire  suppressing  Boxers. 

"Indemnity  is  to  include  compensation  for  Chinese  who  suffered 
through  being  employed  by  foreigners,  but  not  compensation  for  native 
Christians. 

"China  shall  erect  expiatory  monuments  in  every  foreign  or  interna- 
tional burial  ground  where  graves  have  been  profaned. 

"The  Chinese  government  shall  undertake  to  enter  upon  negotiations 
for  such  changes  in  existing  treaties  regarding  trade  and  navigation  as 
the  foreign  governments  deem  advisable  and  with  reference  to  other 
matters  having  in  view  the  facilitation  of  commercial  relations." 

At  the  time  of  closing  this  chapter  with  the  account  of  conditions  to 
the  end  of  November  it  seems  as  if  Emperor  Kuang  Hsu  is  trying  to 
show  to  the  world  his  good  faith  in  dealing  with  vigor  with  the  men 
more  largely  responsible  for  the  Boxer  outrages.  Among  other  things 
he  has  sentenced  the  ringleader,  Prince  Tuan,  to  imprisonment  for  life, 
an  unusually  severe  punishment  for  one  occupying  his  social  and  official 
position.  Other  princes  and  potentates  have  been  ordered  severely 
punished  by  an  edict  of  the  Emperor,  and  it  is  hoped  by  the  administra- 


482  FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

tion  at  Washington  that  this  may  be  accepted  by  the  European  allies  as 
a  basis  for  peace  negotiations.  It  is  admitted,  however,  that  certain 
nations  may  destroy  harmony  and  prevent  an  agreement  by  insisting 
upon  harsher  punishment  than  it  is  Avithin  the  power  of  the  imperial 
government  to  impose  at  this  time.  Minister  Conger  at  Peking  is  exer- 
cising his  influence  with  the  other  ministers  at  the  Chinese  capital  to 
secure  the  speedy  disposition  of  the  preliminary  steps  of  settlement 
with  China,  and  may  succeed  in  bringing  the  negotiations  to  an  early 
conclusion. 

The  views  of  the  better  class  of  Chinamen  concerning  the  present 
situation  is  well  expressed  by  the  intelligent  gentleman  who  represents 
China  at  Washington.  Wu  Ting  Fang,  in  ah  interview  on  the  matter, 
said:  "Prince  Ching  has  been  in  Peking  more  than  a  month,  and  Li 
Hung  Chang  has  been  there  for  some  time.  These  two  plenipotentiaries 
have  been  waiting  for  the  terms  to  be  submitted  to  them  by  the  allied 
pov/ers.  Up  to  this  moment  they  have  received  nothing,  and  in  the 
meantime  the  country  is  in  an  unsettled  state.  Riots  have  occurred. 
Business  is  almost  at  a  standstill.  Surely  it  is  necessary  to  all  the  par- 
ties that  peace  be  restored  as  early  as  practicable.  That  the  imperial 
government  is  anxious  to  meet  the  views  of  the  allied  powers  is  shown 
by  the  edict  which  I  have  received.  This  edict  announces  the  punish- 
ment of  nine  princes  and  officials  who  were  accused  of  complicity  in  the 
outrages,  and  who  have  been  named  by  the  foreign  envoys.  Severe  pen- 
alties have  been  imposed  upon  those  whom  it  is  safe  for  the  imperial 
government  to  punish  at  this  time.  In  its  present  unfortunate  position 
China  ought  not  to  be  pressed  too  hard.  Prince  Tuan  has  received  a 
sentence  which  is  only  short  of  death.  He  is  deprived  of  his  rank  and 
offices  and  ordered  imprisoned  for  life.  In  the  eyes  of  some  this  punish- 
ment is  worse  than  death.  The  assassin  of  the  Empress  of  Austria  and 
the  assassin  of  the  King  of  Italy  are  undergoing  sentences  of  life 
imprisonment.  I  am  in  hopes  that  an  attempt  will  not  be  made  to  de- 
stroy the  Ming  tombs.  Such  a  proposition  is  shocking  to  contemplate. 
As  works  of  art  they  are  beautiful." 

Many  evidences  have  come  to  light  which  indicate  the  remarkable 
ditference  in  point  of  view  between  the  Oriental  and  the  Occidental 
mind.  The  text  of  the  decree  of  the  Emperor  of  China  concerning  fun- 
eral sacrifices  to  be  offered  in  honor  of  the  late  Baron  von  Ketteler  has 
been  received  from  China  and  is  as  follows: 


FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE.  483 

"We  have  already  expressed  our  deep  regret  and  sympathy  for  the 
death  of  the  late  Baron  von  Ketteler,  minister  of  the  great  German 
empire  to  this  court,  at  the  time  of  his  murder  by  soldiers  in  Peking. 
Now,  as  we  recall  to  mind  the  urbanity,  courtesy  and  firmness  of  the 
late  minister  in  his  relations  with  our  government  ever  since  his  arrival 
in  China  we  feel  all  the  more  the  loss  we  have  suffered  from  his  prema- 
ture death,  and  we,  therefore,  hereby  bestow  upon  him  an  imperial 
funeral  sacrifice  before  his  remains  and  command  the  grand  secretary, 
K'Un  Kang  (Manchu)  to  proceed  on  the  date  of  his  receipt  of  this  decree 
at  once  to  perform  the  said  imperial  funeral  sacrifices  and  to  pour  out  a 
libation  before  the  remains  on  our  behalf.  Furthermore,  when  the  late 
Baron  von  Ketteler's  coffin  is  started  on  its  way  to  his  native  country, 
we  hereby  command  the  viceroys  of  Chili  and  the  Laingkiang  provinces, 
in  their  capacity  of  imperial  commissioners  of  the  Peiyang  and  Nanyang 
administration,  to  take  all  precautions  for  the  safe  transportation  of 
the  said  remains  through  their  respective  journeys.  And,  finally,  when 
the  late  minister's  remains  shall  have  reached  Germany,  we  further 
command  Lu  Hai-Huan,  junior  vice-president  of  the  board  of  revenue, 
and  our  minister  to  the  court  of  Berlin,  to  proceed  forthwith  and  per- 
form another  imperial  funeral  sacrifice  before  the  said  remains,  pouring 
forth  a  libation  on  our  behalf,  as  a  true  mark  of  our  constant  desire 
never  to  forget  the  duties  we  owe  to  a  friendly  state." 

A  valuable  contribution  to  the  whole  subject  is  found  in  an  article 
written  by  Wu  Ting  Fang,  which  outlines  clearly  the  point  of  view  of 
the  intelligent  Chinese  and  who  is  also  acquainted  with  the  afifairs  in  the 
Western  world. 

Minister  Wu  writes  as  follows: 

"In  days  gone  by,  China  was  well-nigh  cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the 
world  by  natural  barriers.  The  Himalayas  shut  her  in  effectively  on  the 
west.  Communication  by  land  could  not  be  kept  open  over  the  lofty 
plateau  of  Pamir  and  the  desert  of  Gobi,  owing  to  the  wildness  of  that 
region  and  the  inhospitableness  of  the  inhabitants.  Communication  by 
sea  was  equally  difficult,  owing  to  the  small  size  of  the  vessels  of  those 
days. 

"Thus  China  was  for  centuries  left  to  herself  to  work  out  her  own 
destiny.  Foreign  commerce,  therefore,  was  for  a  long  time  to  her  of  no 
special  consequence.    But  trade  was  by  no  means  neglected.    The  whole 


'484  FORMULATING    TERM8    OF   PEACE. 

country  was  an  industrial  beehive.  Each  section  had  its  peculiar  prod- 
ucts and  manufactures.  The  magnificent  systems  of  waterways,  both 
natural  and  artificial,  rendered  the  remotest  parts  of  the  empire  accessi- 
ble and  facilitated  the  interchange  of  commodities. 

"An  enormous  internal  trade  was  developed.  China  is  also  blessed 
with  a  coast  line  stretching  over  2,000  miles.  Vessels  laden  with  silk, 
rice,  and  other  products  from  the  south  used  to  proceed  northward  along 
the  coast  to  the  ports  of  Shantung  and  Chihli,  and  return  with  cargoes 
of  furs  and  beans.  Large  junks  even  made  frequent  trips  to  Corea, 
Annam,  Siam,  the  Philippines,  and  the  islands  of  the  Bast  Indies.  In 
fact,  we  Chinese  were  already  known  among  our  neighbors  as  traders 
and  m.erchants  of  the  East. 

"It  was,  however,  only  sixty  years  ago  when  the  commercial  relations 
between  China  and  Western  nations  were  first  clearly  defined  by  treaty. 
Since  that  time  obstacle  after  obstacle  to  free  intercourse  has  from  time 
to  time  been  removed,  until  now  China  is  open  to  the  commerce  of  the 
whole  world.  Perhaps  few  people  can  fully  realize  what  this  means. 
In  the  first  place,  China  has  a  population  of  teeming  millions.  We  need 
the  cotton  manufactures  of  Lowell  and  the  food  products  of  the  West. 
In  the  next  place,  we  have  immense  naturaj  resources  to  be  developed. 
The  Province  of  Shansi  is  but  a  vast  bed  of  coal  and  iron  ore.  Petroleum 
is  found  in  Sze  Chuen,  quicksilver  in  Kwei-Ghow,  and  copper  in  Yunnan. 
We  need  your  modern  mechanical  appliances  to  suppla-nt  the  slow  pro- 
cesses of  production.  Again,  we  have  thousands  of  miles  of  railroads  to 
be  built.  We  need  your  rails,  locomotives,  and  iron  bridges.  It  is  need- 
less for  me  to  go  on  with  the  enumeration.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the 
market  is  vast  enough  for  every  line  of  American  goods. 

"The  question  now  before  you  is.  What  should  be  done  to  obtain  a 
due  share  of  the  China  trade?  It  seems  to  uue  there  are  two  courses 
open  to  you.  The  first  one  is  that  you  should  go*  to  China  to  show  us 
what  you  have  to  sell.  We  are  a  practical  people.  In  business  we  tjake 
nothing  on  faith.  We  have  to  see  what  we  buy,  and  we  buy  only  what  we 
want.  What  is  absolutely  necessary  for  you  in  your  mode  of  life  may  not 
be  suitable  to  the  condition  of  things  in  China.  I  have  all  along  advocated 
the  establishment  of  an  exposition  in  Shanghai  and  in  other  treaty  ports 
for  the  exhibition  of  American  goods.  This  will  enable  Chinese  buyers 
to  find  out  with  the  least  expenditure  of  time  and  labor  the  quality  and 


FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE.  485 

price  of  yoiir  goods.  I  am  sure  that  in  these  respects  American  goods 
need  fear  no  competition. 

"Another  course  to  be  pursued  for  the  development  of  the  China 
trade  is  that  Chinese  merchants  should  be  induced  to  come  to  your 
shores,  and  be  afforded  every  facility  to  visit  the  great  commercial 
centers  and  inspect  the  immense  factories,  mills,  and  other  establish- 
ments in  this  country. 

"If  Chinese  merchants  could  come  more  freely  to  this  country  and 
see  how  things  are  done  in  your  business  establishments,  it  would  cer- 
tainly give  them  a  better  idea  of  American  enterprise  and  energy,  and 
impress  them  with  greater  respect  for  Anuerican  methods.  They  could 
also  see  many  things  which  are  new  to  them,  ascertain  their  utility  and 
their  uses,  and  would  then  purchase  them.  I  am  compelled  to  say,  and 
I  say  it  with  great  reluctance,  that  no  such  facilities  are  afforded  to 
Chinese  customers  to  come  to  this  country.  Ajmerican  manufacturers 
may  have  agents  in  China  to  sell  their  goods.  But  Chinese  merchants 
certainly  ought  to  know  best  what  is  most  suitable  for  their  home 
markets.  If  they  could  enter  this  country  without  unnecessary  restric- 
tions they  might  be  in  a  better  position  to  select  not  only  what  they 
came  to  buy,  but  also*  carry  home  with  them  a  great  many  things  which 
they  had  no  intention  of  buying  at  the  outset.  It  seems  to  me  that 
self-interest  alone  ought  to  point  .out  the  best  course  for  the  American 
people  to  follow.  If  you  should  wish  to  increase  your  trade  with  China 
every  obstacle  in  the  way  of  free  intercourse  between  the  two  countries 
should  be  removed.  As  the  progress  of  civilization  has  leveled  one 
natural  barrier  after  another  in  order  that  the  peoples  of  the  earth  may 
be  drawn  together  into  closer  relations,  it  is  certainly  contrary  to  the 
spirit  of  the  times  to  erect  artificial  ones  by  means  of  hostile  legislation. 

"With  a  growing  commerce  between  China  and  the  United  States, 
the  question  of  transportation  will  no  doubt  come  more  and  more  to  the 
front.  In  days  not  long  past,  the  American  flag  was  a  common  sight 
among  the  shipping  at  Hongkong,  Shanghai,  and  other  Chinese  ports. 
Kow  it  is  conspicuous  by  its  absence.  If  Americans  are  to  make  good 
their  claim  to  a  due  share  of  the  commercial  advantages  in  China  it  is 
essential  that  they  should  revive  their  carrying  trade  on  Chinese  waters. 
I  have  been  informed  that  more  goods  have  been  offered  of  late  to  the 
steamship  companies  at  San  Francisco  than  they  can  possibly  carry 
with  the  limited  facilities  at  their  command.    The  result  is  that  the 


486  FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

freight  rates  to  the  Orient  have  taken  a  sharp  rise.  The  exporters  from 
the  Eastern  States  will  suffer. 

"If  an  isthmian  canal  were  in  operation  connecting  the  waters  of  the 
Atlantic  with  those  of  the  Pacific,  such  congestion  of  traffic  at  any  point 
on  the  Pacific  coast  would  be  at  once  relieved.  But,  unfortunately,  the 
day  is  still  far  distant  when  steamers  can  pass  from  ocean  to  ocean 
across  the  Central  American  isthmus.  In  the  meanwhile  the  time  and 
tide  of  trade  tarry  for  no  man.  Demand  for  American  goods  continues 
to  pour  in  from  the  East.  Without  adequate  transportation  facilities 
how  is  it  to  be  met? 

"After  due  inquiry  I  find  that  Americans  do  not  control  a  single 
line  of  steamers  plying  between  New  York  and  Shanghai  by  way  of  the 
Suez  Canal.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  such  a  line,  if  estab- 
lished, will  contribute  materially  to  the  expansion  of  trade  between  the 
two  countries.  Mr.  Goodnow,  your  Consul  General  at  Shanghai,  reports 
that  rates  of  freight  from  New  York  to  China  and  Japan  via  Suez  vary 
from  22  shillings  6  pence  to  27  shillings  6  pence  (|5.46  to  |6.68)  per  ton 
of  forty  cubic  feet,  against  45  shillings  to  50  shillings  (|10.93  to  |12.15) 
charged  by  steamship  owners  from  London  and  Liverpool  to  the  same 
destination.  Thus  it  is  apparent  that  British  steamship  companies  give 
preferential  rates  to  American  shippers.  The  English  are  noted  for 
their  acute  judgment  in  matters  of  business.  If  English  shipowners 
think  it  worth  their  while  for  business  reasons  to  offer  cheaper  freight 
rates  to  American  than  to  English  shippers,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  they  cherish  greater  love  for  their  American  cousins  than  for  their 
English  brethren.  It  is  because  they  consider  it  good  business  policy. 
Such  being  the  case,  it  seems  strange  that  you  enterprising  Americans 
should  so  far  have  made  no  serious  attempt  to  secure  at  least  a  share 
of  the  profits  arising  from  carrying  your  own  goods. 

"If  a  line  of  American  steamers  should  ply  regularly  between  China 
and  the  Atlantic  seaports  of  the  United  States,  there  is  scarcely  room 
for  doubt  that  a  large  shipping  business  will  be  done,  as  greater  facili- 
ties will  be  afforded  to  exporters  of  goods  manufactured  in  the  Eastern 
States. 

"With  the  expansion  of  commerce,  as  all  parts  of  the  earth  will 
become  more  and  more  accessible  by  steamer  or  railroad,  new  markets 
will  be  opened  for  American  manufactures.  Business  connections  will 
be  established  wherever  goods  find  their  way.    Intercourse  and  trade 


FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE.  487 

will  make  peoples  and  nations  grow  more  and  more  friendly  to  one 
another,  and  take  a  common  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  world,  thus 
contributing  an  important  factor  toward  the  preservation  of  universal 
peace." 

Another  expression  second  only  to  the  foregoing  in  importance  comes 
from  a  widely  different  source.  Soon  after  China's  disastrous  war  with 
Japan,  Chang  Chih-Tung,  the  viceroy  of  Hupeh  and  Human,  and  one  of 
the  most  influential  of  Chinese  officials,  v>^rote  and  published  a  treatise 
advocating  sweeping  reforms  in  Chinese  conditions  and  methods  of 
government.  The  work,  which  was  inspired  partly  by  the  weakness 
of  China,  as  disclosed  in  the  war,  and  partly  by  the  growing  pressure  of 
foreign  influence  in  the  empire,  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the 
emperor,  Kuang  Hsll,  who  immediately  issued  an  imperial  rescript, 
ordering  that  copies  should  be  distributed  to  the  viceroys,  governors 
and  literary  examiners  of  China.  It  was  the  inauguration  of  the  reform 
movement,  following  this,  that  led  the  Empress  Dowager  to  dethrone 
Kuang  Hsii,  and  indirectly  provoked  the  anti-foreign  movement  which 
culminated  with  the  assaults  upon  the  legationers  in  Peking. 

A  translation  of  this  work  has  just  been  published,  under  the  title, 
"China's  Only  Hope:  An  Appeal."  The  translation  was  made  by  Samuel 
I.  Woodbridge,  and  is  published  by  the  Fleming  H.  Revell  company  of 
New  York  and  Chicago.  As  the  expression  of  an  intelligent  Chinaman's 
views  concerning  the  western  world  and  China's  relations  thereto,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  interesting  books  yet  brought  to  the  notice  of  English 
students  of  the  oriental  situation.  An  introductory  chapter,  by  Griffith 
John  of  the  London  mission  at  Hankow,  aflflrms  that  Chang  Chih-Tung 
is  a  man  of  profound  scholarship,  endowed  with  no  little  courage,  and 
singularly  unlike  other  Chinese  officials,  in  that  he  apparently  cares 
little  for  the  acquisition  of  money.  At  all  events,  th«  present  volume  is 
noteworthy  as  evidence  that  the  capacity  for  patriotic  sentiment  is  by 
no  means  lacking  among  all  Chinamen.  Viceroy  Chang  has  loud  praises 
for  his  country's  prodigious  past  history,  but  he  is  equally  vigorous  in 
his  denunciations  of  what  he  considers  to  be  its  weaknesses.  "Of  all 
countries,"  he  writes,  "China  alone  for  these  fifty  years  has  proved  her- 
self irreclaimably  stupid  and  not  awake." 

The  book,  it  must  be  remembered,  is  designed,  not  for  occidental 
readers,  but  for  Chinamen,  and  with  the  obvious  purpose  of  stirring 
them  with  information  which  in  their  self-satisfax;tion  or  conceit  they 


488  FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

hitherto  have  refused  to  heed.  The  substance  of  Viceroy  Chang's  argu- 
ment is,  in  brief,  that  the  hope  for  the  future  of  China  rests  on  two  things 
— namely,  the  renaissance  of  Confucianism  and  the  adoption  of  western 
science  and  practical  methods.  As  the  translator  interprets  his  mean- 
ing, "the  old  is  to  form  the  moral  basis,  and  the  new^  is  to  be  used  for 
practical  purposes."  In  setting  forth  his  belief  the  viceroy,  after  plainly 
stating  that  "the  present  condition  of  things  is  not  due  to  outside 
nations,  but  to  China  herself,"  presents  twenty  chapters.  Nine  of  these 
are  grouped  under  the  text  "Radical  principles  a  means  of  rectifying  the 
heart,"  and  are  concerned  with  the  moral  regeneration  of  China,  while 
eleven  others,  upon  the  text  "The  intercourse  of  nations  a  means  of 
enlightenment,"  deal  with  practical  affairs.  The  viceroy  sums  up  his 
advice  under  the  following  "Five  Objects  of  Knowledge:" 

"1.  Know  the  shame  of  not  being  like  Japan,  Turkey,  Siam  and 
Cuba. 

"2.  Know  the  fear  that  we  will  become  as  India,  Annam,  Burmah, 
Korea,  Egypt  and  Poland. 

"3.  Know  that  if  we  do  not  change  our  customs  we  cannot  reform 
our  methods,  and  if  we  do  not  reform  our  methods  we  cannot  utilize 
the  modern  implements  of  war,  etc. 

"4.  Know  what  is  important.  The  study  of  the  old  is  not  urgent; 
the  call  for  men  of  attainments  is  useful;  knowledge  is  pressing. 
Foreign  education  is  of  different  kinds.  Western  handicraft  is  not  in 
demand,  but  a  knowledge  of  the  methods  of  foreign  governments  is  a 
consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished. 

"5.  Know  what  is  radical.  When  abroad,  do  not  forget  your  own 
native  country;  when  you  see  strange  customs,  do  not  forget  your 
parents;  and  let  not  much  wisdom  and  ingenuity  make  you  forget  the 
holy  sages." 

Throughout  his  book  the  viceroy,  either  from  conviction  or  as  a 
matter  of  policy,  speaks  in  friendly  terms  of  the  existing  dynasty.  It 
will  surprise  most  western  readers  to  learn  from  the  viceroy  that  any 
class  of  Chinese  insurrectionaries  have  favored  the  establishment  of  a 
republic,  but  the  loyal  viceroy  opposes  this  vigorously,  declaring  that 
"there  is  not  a  particle  of  good  to  be  derived  from  it"  and  adding  that 
inasmuch  as  a  parliamentary  body  is  necessary  to  a  republic  and  most 
"Chinese  officials  and  people  are  obstructive  as  well  as  stupid"  and 
"utterly  ignorant  of  the  details  of  civil  government,"  the  republic  must 


FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE.  48a 

fail.  In  addition  the  writer,  who,  together  with  a  vast  amount  of  real 
knowledge,  occasionally  betrays  misinformation,  goes  even  further  to 
assert  that  a  "republic"  is  not  really  "ming  ch'uen,"  or  "people  power," 
for  the  people  in  western  republics  "only  have  the  right  to  discuss 
measures  and  not  to  carry  these  measures  into  execution."  "Americans 
resident  in  China,"  adds  this  ingenuous  critic,  "inform  us  that  the  ballot 
box  in  their  country  is  greatly  abused  for  personal  ends,  and  Chinese 
admirers  of  the  American  republic  have  not  minutely  examined  its 
defects." 

The  keynote  of  Viceroy  Chang's  discussion  of  the  practical  phases  of 
reform  is  struck  in  his  declaration  that  "in  order  to  render  China  power- 
ful and  at  the  same  time  preserve  our  own  institutions  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  we  should  utilize  western  knowledge."  On  this  point  he 
is  insistent,  and  he  discusses  the  situation  with  a  keenness  of  perception 
and  a  fearlessness  of  utterance  which  make  the  final  chapters  of  the 
book  well  worth  reading.  He  clings  tenaciously  to  his  plea  for  the 
maintenance  of  Confucianism  and  the  old  Chinese  religions,  but  he 
bespeaks  tolerance  for  western  creeds  and  demands  that  travel,  schools 
of  science,  newspapers,  railways,  political  reforms  and  the  translation 
of  western  books  into  Chinese  be  promoted  constantly.  Here  he  is  as 
direct,  practical,  concise  and  level  headed  as  any  westerner  could  be. 
"Knowledge  alone  can  save  us  from  destruction,"  he  writes.  It  is 
imperative,  therefore,  that  Chinese  officials  become  conversant  with 
policy,  laws,  economy,  commerce  and  science.  Japan  sprung  into  prom- 
inence because  men  like  Ito,  Yamagata,  Yanomoto  and  Mutsui  "visited 
foreign  countries  twenty  years  ago  and  learned  a  method  by  which  to 
escape  the  coercion  of  Europe."  China  must  send  men  to  Japan,  and 
later  probably  to  Europe.  Schools  must  be  reformed  and  new  educa- 
tional societies  adopted.  Schools  of  languages  must  be  established  that 
natives  may  study  v/estern  books.  The  anti-reformers,  who  are  divided 
by  the  viceroy  into  "the  conservatives,  who  are  stuck  in  the  mud  of 
antiquity,  the  slow  bellies  of  Chinese  officialdom,  befuddled,  indolent, 
slippery  nepotists,  and  the  hypercritics,"  must  be  overcome — China  must 
introduce  its  own  railways. 

Any  one  who  supposes  that  the  Chinese  mind  is  not  capable  of 
grasping  the  western  man's  point  of  view  will  find  the  following  pas- 
sages of  interest.  Who,  after  reading  them,  can  deny  that  the  Chinaman, 
whatever  his  mental  plane  and  point  of  view,  may  be  thoroughly  well 


490  FORMULATING    TERMS    OF   PEACE. 

aware  of  the  meaning  of  the  game  of  diplomacy  as  played  by  the  more 
civilized  powers? 

"There  are  many  who  place  the  most  implicit  confidence  in  inter- 
national law,  but  these  are  as  stupid  as  the  individuals"  who  depend  on 
the  disarmament  society  for  peace.  If  countries  are  equally  matched, 
then  intei'uational  law  is  enforced;  otherwise,  the  law  is  inoperative. 
For  what  has  international  law  to  do  with  fighting  issues  when  one 
country  is  strong  and  another  weak?  *  *  *  China  is  not  on  an 
equal  footing  with  the  west.  The  murder  of  a  foreigner  by  a  Chinese 
is  a  very  serious  matter,  but  the  killing  of  a  Chinaman  by  a  foreigner 
is  a  trivial  thing.  Foreign  countries  have  no  mixed  courts — in  fact, 
China  is  really  not  in  the  comity  of  nations,  and  it  is  useless  to  prate 
about  international  law\  Disarmament  is  an  international  joke,  and 
international  law  a  deception.  There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  seek  help 
in  ourselves. 

"If  we  maintain  an  army,  the  weak  countries  will  fear  us  and  the 
strong  will  respect  us.  If  we  ally  ourselves  with  Europe,  then  Efurope 
will  win ;  if  with  Asia,  Asia  will  wun.  By  all  means  get  the  army  first, 
and  then  consider  the  question  of  disarmament;  for  if  we  talk  of  dis- 
armament to  the  other  countries  without  force  to  back  up  our  words, 
we  will  become-  the  laughing-stock  of  the  world.  It  would  be  like 
reciting  the  'Filial  Classic'  to  a  band  of  armed  rebels^,  or  hoisting  a  flag 
of  truce  to  stop  a  street  fight. 

"Drilling  troops  is  better  than  disbanding  them.  With  fifty  war- 
ships on  the  sea  and -thirty  myriads  of'troops  on  land;  with  daily  addi- 
tions to  both  ships  and  troops ;  with  the  daily  strengthening  of  our  forts 
and  equipping  them  with  the  best  engines  of  modern- warfare,  and  with 
the  railways  intersecting  the  land,  what  country  would  dare  begin 
hostilities  against  China,  or  in  any  way  infringe  upon  her  treaty  rights? 
We  would  be  in  a  position  to  redress  our  wrongs  without  the  fear  of 
staking  all  upon  minor  issues.  Under  these  conditions  Japan  will  side 
with  China,  Europe  will  retire  and  the  far  east  will  be  at  rest." 

'  Whateve«r  other  conclusions  may  be  drawn,  the  viceix)y's  interesting 
volume  affords  a  remarkable  proof  of  the-  fact  that  thia  Chinese^  when 
he  does  awaken,  may  be  found  with  an  unexpectedly  clear  perception  of 
the  problems  which  confront  him. 


RETURN 


MAIN  CIRCULATION 


ALL  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  RECALL 
RENEW  BOOKS  BY  CALLING  642-3405 


DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


Wo~f^^ 


HEC-MOFFlTt   "^ 


tV 


55" 


APR  Z  6  1999 


FORM  NO.  DD6 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 
BERKELEY,  CA  94720 


mi.^J.L^.'^ELEY  LIBRARIES 


CD^^7^D7a'^ 


